Arthur's Pass National Park

About

Arthur's Pass National Park is located in the South Island of New Zealand and covers 1,185 km2 of mostly mountainous terrain. Adjacent to it lies Craigieburn Forest Park. The park is administered by the Department of Conservation.

Land in Arthur's Pass and the Otira Gorge was originally set aside under the Lands Act 1885 and the Scenery Preservation Act of 1903. This land later became the foundation for the national park.

After the Midland railway line was built, train trips from Christchurch to the Otira Gorge began in 1926 when the Railway Department organised day excursions for hundreds of tourists. Unfortunately, native flowers were popular souvenirs. Some individuals chose to cut down trees to obtain rātā blooms. As a result, there was a large push to establish national park status for the area. Arthur′s Pass National Park was established in 1929, becoming the first national park in the South Island and the third in New Zealand. Underfunding meant that national park status was initially in name only: it took a number of years for the flora and fauna in the park to be fully protected.

The first park ranger at Arthur's Pass National Park was Charles Edward Warden, who was appointed in 1929 on the establishment of the park and served until November 1937. Warden lived in a cottage at 'Tin Town' inside the park and was paid an honorarium for his work, which included marking and maintaining tracks, public relations and advice to visitors about the park, and trying to stop tourists from destroying or removing plants. In 1942, Warden was appointed to the Arthur's Pass National Park Board of Control. The first full-time ranger at the park, Martin Burke, was employed in 1938.

Ray Cleland, ranger from 1950 to 1958, made many improvements in the park. He established a museum, oversaw building of a park ranger's house and workshop, and helped establish a 48-bunk youth hostel and a chapel. Walking tracks for less-fit visitors were created along with camping and picnic sites and more information signs. Cleland attempted to control plant and animal pests and had to deal with "boisterous" visitors on excursion trains. Cleland is remembered in the name of a street (Cleland Place) in Arthur's Pass village.

In 1901, the Riversdale Flats were gazetted for inclusion in Arthur's Pass National Park, However, when the park was created in 1929, the 1,000 hectares of the Riversdale Flats were excluded. These were then incorporated into the Mount White Station lease. In 2007, the Arthur's Pass National Park plan recommended the inclusion of the Riversdale Flats. In late 2021, the status of whether the Riversdale Flats should remain within the Mount White lease or be incorporated into Arthur's Pass National Park was before the courts.

The Department of Conservation operates a depot, administration and information centre in Arthur's Pass village. It has been proposed that facilities should be developed to encourage more visitors to stay the night. Achieving this would require more high-end accommodation and amenities to be built. The report notes that visitors peak over summer. There is a lack of longer day walk options in the park and all–weather amenities. The report also suggested that a cable car would be popular to access the tops of the mountains as would hot pools in the village and an upgraded visitor centre. The Department of Conservation had yet to make a decision on the development of Arthur's Pass National Park by June 2021.

From 2019, most international visitors to New Zealand have been charged an 'International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy' (IVL). At Arthur's Pass National Park, $300,000 from the IVL fund has been allocated for "delivery of a collaborative co-design approach to support the development of a well-functioning regional visitor destination".

Land in Arthur's Pass and the Otira Gorge was originally set aside under the Lands Act 1885 and the Scenery Preservation Act of 1903. This land later became the foundation for the national park.

After the Midland railway line was built, train trips from Christchurch to the Otira Gorge began in 1926 when the Railway Department organised day excursions for hundreds of tourists. Unfortunately, native flowers were popular souvenirs. Some individuals chose to cut down trees to obtain rātā blooms. As a result, there was a large push to establish national park status for the area. Arthur′s Pass National Park was established in 1929, becoming the first national park in the South Island and the third in New Zealand. Underfunding meant that national park status was initially in name only: it took a number of years for the flora and fauna in the park to be fully protected.

The first park ranger at Arthur's Pass National Park was Charles Edward Warden, who was appointed in 1929 on the establishment of the park and served until November 1937. Warden lived in a cottage at 'Tin Town' inside the park and was paid an honorarium for his work, which included marking and maintaining tracks, public relations and advice to visitors about the park, and trying to stop tourists from destroying or removing plants. In 1942, Warden was appointed to the Arthur's Pass National Park Board of Control. The first full-time ranger at the park, Martin Burke, was employed in 1938.

Ray Cleland, ranger from 1950 to 1958, made many improvements in the park. He established a museum, oversaw building of a park ranger's house and workshop, and helped establish a 48-bunk youth hostel and a chapel. Walking tracks for less-fit visitors were created along with camping and picnic sites and more information signs. Cleland attempted to control plant and animal pests and had to deal with "boisterous" visitors on excursion trains. Cleland is remembered in the name of a street (Cleland Place) in Arthur's Pass village.

The first park ranger at Arthur's Pass National Park was Charles Edward Warden, who was appointed in 1929 on the establishment of the park and served until November 1937. Warden lived in a cottage at 'Tin Town' inside the park and was paid an honorarium for his work, which included marking and maintaining tracks, public relations and advice to visitors about the park, and trying to stop tourists from destroying or removing plants. In 1942, Warden was appointed to the Arthur's Pass National Park Board of Control. The first full-time ranger at the park, Martin Burke, was employed in 1938.

Ray Cleland, ranger from 1950 to 1958, made many improvements in the park. He established a museum, oversaw building of a park ranger's house and workshop, and helped establish a 48-bunk youth hostel and a chapel. Walking tracks for less-fit visitors were created along with camping and picnic sites and more information signs. Cleland attempted to control plant and animal pests and had to deal with "boisterous" visitors on excursion trains. Cleland is remembered in the name of a street (Cleland Place) in Arthur's Pass village.

In 1901, the Riversdale Flats were gazetted for inclusion in Arthur's Pass National Park, However, when the park was created in 1929, the 1,000 hectares of the Riversdale Flats were excluded. These were then incorporated into the Mount White Station lease. In 2007, the Arthur's Pass National Park plan recommended the inclusion of the Riversdale Flats. In late 2021, the status of whether the Riversdale Flats should remain within the Mount White lease or be incorporated into Arthur's Pass National Park was before the courts.

The Department of Conservation operates a depot, administration and information centre in Arthur's Pass village. It has been proposed that facilities should be developed to encourage more visitors to stay the night. Achieving this would require more high-end accommodation and amenities to be built. The report notes that visitors peak over summer. There is a lack of longer day walk options in the park and all–weather amenities. The report also suggested that a cable car would be popular to access the tops of the mountains as would hot pools in the village and an upgraded visitor centre. The Department of Conservation had yet to make a decision on the development of Arthur's Pass National Park by June 2021.

From 2019, most international visitors to New Zealand have been charged an 'International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy' (IVL). At Arthur's Pass National Park, $300,000 from the IVL fund has been allocated for "delivery of a collaborative co-design approach to support the development of a well-functioning regional visitor destination".

Arthur′s Pass National Park is bisected by State Highway 73. The road passes through Arthur's Pass village and the mountain pass with the same name over the Southern Alps at a height of 920 metres above sea level. The National Park is located within a few hours of driving from Christchurch, the largest city on the South Island of New Zealand.

The park is split by the main divide of the South Island. The eastern side is typically drier and consists of mountain beech forest and wide riverbeds, while the western side contains dense rainforest (which includes mixed podocarp and rata). Much of the geography was formed by ancient glacial action, forming flat bottomed U-shaped valleys. In the middle is a high range, consisting of large, snow-covered peaks and scree slopes.

The park contains the following geographical features: