The Cracroft Reserve is a 3.2 hectare public reserve on Cracroft Hill in the Cashmere suburb of Christchurch (Ōtautahi), New Zealand (Aotearoa). Cracroft Reserve is a popular stop for tourists, and residents, with its viewing platform providing panoramic views of Ōtautahi, the Canterbury Plains (Waitaha) and the Southern Alps (Kā Tiritiri o te Moana).
Before the arrival of European settlers there were several tracks from Ōtautahi that lead over from the plains to Whakaraupō (Lyttelton Harbour). One of the three principal paths was Pukeatua (Dyers Pass) the track crossing from "Sandridge" at Sydenham to, Governors Bay, by way of the present Dyers Pass Road. Ōpāwaho was a pā on the river (awa) banks between what is now Judge Street and Vincent Place in Christchurch it is likely that people from the pa travelled up and over Pukeatua to get to Ōhinetahi and through to Whakaraupō . Ōpāwaho was also used as a resting place for Ngāi Tahu travelling between Kaiapoi and Horomaka/Te Pātaka-a-Rākaihautū (Banks Peninsula). The awa was part of the interconnected network of ara tawhito (traditional travel routes). Keeping in mind that Ōtautahi once had widespread a wetland system.
John Cracroft Wilson was born in Onamore, India on May 21 1808 . He was Elizabeth Clementina Wilson’s (née Cracroft) son. Her family were from Hackthorn Hall in Lincolnshire. Her family name was given to him as a second Christian name, a custom that has been followed by the family ever since. He was a British-educated civil servant in India, farmer and politician in New Zealand. In 1853. He had to move to a cooler climate because of poor health.He took up 108 hectares (1.08 km2) of land on the other side of the Port Hills and named the farm Cashmere, he named this after Kashmir in India.
Cracroft Wilson brought many Indian workers with him to help in the establishment of his Christchurch estate. Among these were New Zealand’s first Muslim man. Wuzerah worked as a bullock driver, using his two favourite beasts, Baldy and Smuggler, to cart provisions from the Cashmere estate into town. Cashmere’s original name was Te Iringa-o-Kahukura. Wuzerah made monthly trips to Christchurch for necessities and would set up camp at the Rotherfield yard, near where the Gresham Hotel stood in Cashel Street.
To qualify for this geocache you must answer the following questions and email or message them to the CO
1. What is the Te Reo name for Dyers Pass?
2. What was the name of Christchurch's first known Muslim?
3. Who was this reserve named after?
4.How many concrete steps are there up to the viewing platform?
5. Which organisations are on the metal map on the viewing platform?
6. Optional extra Include a photo of the view and you and your gps; .
Virtual Rewards 2.0 - 2019/2020
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between June 4, 2019 and June 4, 2020. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 2.0 on the Geocaching Blog.