Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
History
Maori came here to hunt moa more than 500 years ago, burning the forest and ground cover
as they searched for their prey. The path followed by SH72 near Alford Forest is believed to
have been used by these seasonal hunting parties.
There are plenty of signs of modern human occupation and exploitation in this area. Saw
milling was instrumental in the development of the Staveley area, with logging teams ex-
tracting native trees by bullock cart before milling and transporting them down to the Can-
terbury settlements for house-building.
From the mid-1800s a number of coalmines sprung up, two of which - McClimonts and
Blackburn - are near Woolshed Creek. The latter was the last mine to close, in 1960.
Environment
While much of the mid-Canterbury area is composed of greywacke, Mt Somers betrays its
relatively recent volcanic activity through the presence of hard rhyolite rock. Its impressive
rock formations include some toothy pinnacles that are irresistible to rock climbers.
A highlight of the walkway is the number of latitudinal plant sequences trampers pass
through. Bog species proliferate because of the infertile soil and poor drainage. These are
easily seen in Slaughterhouse Gully. Lower down, in both Woolshed Creek and the lower
