Kura Tawhiti EarthCache
Hidden : 5/14/2009
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
2 out of 5

Size: Size: other (other)

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Geocache Description:

Come and explore the Castle Hill rocks. The carpark is at S43 14.006 E171 43.330 It takes about 5-10mins easy walk in to the rocks themselves.




Once there you can spend the whole day exploring, or just enjoying the ambience, or of course find a geocache or two.

The Castle Hill Basin is located in the Canterbury high country at an altitude of 700m approximately 90km northwest of Christchurch. It lies between the Torlesse and Craigieburn mountain ranges and is characterised by its distinctive limestone rock formations.

These limestone rock formations are the water eroded remnants of a huge tilted slab of limestone formed when much of present day New Zealand was covered by the sea. The limestone formations were initially called Castle Hill Rocks because of their ruined castle-like appearance from a distance.

The area is of special cultural, spiritual and historical significance to Ngai Tahu who named it Kura Tawhiti.

Hidden amongst the limestone outcrops of Castle Hill are traces of 500-year old charcoal drawings traditionally said to have been left by the Waitaha, the first people to travel through this area.

In 1998 the Kura Tawhiti Conservation Area was designated as Topuni to ensure that the values Ngai Tahu place on this area are recognised, acknowledged and respected. (one meaning of “topuni” is “completely covered”)

Natural erosion has weathered the higher parts into fantastic shapes, which are much loved by rock-climbers, and the whole area is a maze of towers, arches, holes and slabs that is a joy to explore.

The weathering of the gently sloping limestone “pavement” leaves huge smoothed blocks called “clints”, separated by holes and channels called “grykes”. Among this area of grykes and clints are some unique plants found nowhere else.

There is great bouldering and rock climbing at Kura Tawhiti. You will need to ask permission to walk or climb anywhere outside of the DOC reserve. Climbers are asked to respect the rock climbing codes in place. This is a special place. Please also stay within the boundaries of the reserve - the surrounding area is a working farm.


Some interesting websites are:

https://web.archive.org/web/20100523230451/http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-visit/canterbury/waimakariri-area/kura-tawhiti-conservation-area/

click here.

https://www.castlehill.nz/

click here.

https://web.archive.org/web/20121021054707/http://www.doc.govt.nz/about-doc/role/maori/topuni/kura-tawhiti/

click here.


To log this cache, you must email (EMAIL not messaging) to the cache owner the following:

(a) The geological era in which these limestone formations were created

(b) The age of the formations

(c) The approximate height of the natural arch at S43 13.787 E171 42.857

(d) Go to the listed coords, and take a photo of yourself, with GPS, of the view looking towards the rock tower that is due North. You must publish this photo with your log.


Now go and explore the rock formations.

Some other points of interest are:
View of the big cave: S43 13.719 E171 42.841
Squeeze-hole (can you get through?): S43 13.775 E171 42.889

And there is also a new traditional cache “Green Gryke” GC1MXDX for you to find.

Additional Hints (No hints available.)



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