It is with some consternation that the Castle Hill Community Association committee has learnt that the position of Field Centre Supervisor (Chris Stewart) at Arthur's Pass is to be lost in DOC's restructuring. You will all know how important Chris has been in the developments around the village. The committee has written a letter to the Director General, and also copies to various MPs, stating our concerns, and suggesting a community partnership position be established at AP. If you wish to make a personal plea, please do the same- the more the better.
Castle Hill Village began as a development in 1982 when the then owner of Castle Hill Station, John Reid, conceived a plan to create a high alpine village on an area of farmland near Thomas Bush beneath the Craigieburn Range as a centre for recreational activities in the area.
Since its inception the village has steadily grown and now contains more than 80 houses. Most of these are
seasonal holiday homes with only a handful occupied by permanent residents. (There are no commercial shops in the village for food or fuel).
Castle Hill Village is located in the Canterbury high country 100km west of Christchurch (about one hours car travel on State Highway 73),
about 33km west from Springfield over Porters Pass. A steet map of the village is given on the left and a larger area map can be found here.
Activities
The village location is ideal base for a range of outdoor activities. These include:
Skiing- four skifields are located along the Craigieburn Range near the village. The Craigieburn Range also offers extensive ski touring possibilities- click here for more details
Bouldering/ Rock Climbing- the village is located close to both the world renowned Castle Hill (Kura Tawhiti) and Flock Hill limestone boulder fields
Mountain Biking- mountain biking is expanding in the area with the recent development of the Hogs Back Track. Further mtb rides are also located in the Craigieburn Forest
Park, with other mtb tracks proposed for the future
Caving- the cave at Cave Stream Reserve is one of the most outstanding natural features in the Canterbury region.
Fishing- numerous sports fishing opportunities are available iin the high country lakes and rivers in the area. See the Fish and Game New Zealand website for more details
Castle Hill Community Association
Information relating to the Castle Hill Community Association can now be viewed here.
