Ranger’s House For Peel Forest Park

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31236, 7 December 1966, Page 26

Ranger’s House For Peel Forest Park

A contract has been let by the Peel Forest Park Board for the construction of a ranger’s house and office in the park, opposite the Peel Forest Hall. The building is expected to be completed by the end of March. It is similar in design to that in the Westland National Park. The chairman of the board (Mr R. M. Fitzgerald) said that the board’s office would help cater for the increasing number of persons visiting the park. The house and office would be used by the newly-appointed ranger (Mr D. A. L. Hoskyn). Mr Fitzgerald said that nearly 36,000 persons visited the park in 1964, and this number had increased each year since. In October there were 1480 visitors.

Plans for the provision of amenities in the park motorcamp area and roadside picnic sites are also under consideration by the board. Nine acres of picnic area have been cleared and a further six will be cleared for picniking and camping.

The 1335-acre Peel Forest Park is in the foothills overlooking the Canterbury plains, about 16 miles north of Geraldine. It extends from the bank of the Rangitata river up the slopes of Little Mount Peel.

The park is administered by the board appointed under the Reserves and Domains Act. More than half was set aside as a forest reserve by early surveyors, and in 1905

further large areas were added. The main attractions of the park are the bush walks, birdlife, and the mountain, hill and plain scenery. Native trees in the area include totara, matai, kahikatea, broadleaf, lancewood, rata, lemonwood, wineberry, kanuka, manuka, pokaka, fivefinger, matipo, fuchsia, ribbonwood, mahoe, kowhai, kaikomako, pepperwood, mountain cedar, beech and tree ferns.