Peel Forest

Peel Forest is about 750 hectares of podocarp forest on the lower slopes of Little Mount Peel, and it matters because almost nothing like it survived on the Canterbury side of the Alps - the plains and foothills were burned and cleared, so this remnant is one of the last examples of what the eastern foothill forest looked like. It holds totara, matai, kahikatea and a well-known individual: the Big Tree, a totara with a girth of around nine metres and an age usually given as about a thousand years, reached on a short walk. Other tracks lead to Emily Falls, Rata Falls and Acland Falls, and longer routes climb Little Mount Peel for a view over the plains. The Rangitata River alongside is used for rafting and jet boating. There is a village, a campground and a store; kereru and bellbird are common, and rifleman are present in the higher forest.

History

In Māori tradition the great tōtara trees are the children of Tarahaoa and Huatekerekere, who became Mount Peel and Little Mount Peel. Charles Torlesse came looking for coal in 1849, the area was later named after Sir Robert Peel, milling began in the 1850s, and in 1881 Arthur Mills, shocked by the destruction, bought 16 hectares of untouched forest, the start of Peel Forest Park (Wikipedia, Peel Forest).

What you'll find

• The Big Tree - a totara around a thousand years old.
• The remnant podocarp forest - a rare survivor on the Canterbury side.
• The waterfall walks - Emily, Rata and Acland Falls.
• Little Mount Peel - the climb to a view over the plains.

When to go

October to April. Waterfalls are best after rain. The Little Mount Peel climb is a full day and needs settled weather.

Things to know

The waterfall tracks are muddy and root-covered in places. Little Mount Peel is a serious climb, not a stroll. Facilities are limited to the village store and campground. Sandflies near the river.

Nearby

Geraldine is south; the Rangitata Valley and Mount Sunday run inland.