Day 354: Torlesse Tussocklands Park

100% sore from the 9 miles on Mount Cook yesterday. What’s the best remedy for muscle soreness? More hiking.

Our next destination was a cool little hostel lodge deep into the Torlesse Tussocklands Park. On the way you have the opportunity to drive past Raikiki Gorge and steep mountain passes.

Our first stop was Castle Hill and its weird limestone formations. Geology blurb: The area was once under a large, shallow sea that began to fill 30 million years ago. Pressure over time caused extensive uplift and faulting of the Torlesse and Craigieburn Ranges. Thrust up from their origin, the limestone rock was eroded by water into these formations, a karst landscape.

This area also has special significance to the Maori tribe Ngāi Tahu and is managed by them. They once used these rocks for shelter, hunting, and herb gathering while passing through the mountains.

Our second stop was a cave stream where visitors have the opportunity to walk through a cave from one end to the other while water flows through. We didn’t have proper gear, but you can still hike to the entry and exit. The whole trip takes an hour so other family members who didn’t want to traverse through the cave were relaxing at its exit.

We finally arrive the Forest Lodge and it’s a really cool spot. It’s set up hostel style with 30 beds, but you can rent the whole cabin out. Margie, the care taker, is a beautiful soul who lives on the property for months at a time. When the cabin gets fully rented out, she’s able to go on hikes and explore the area. Luckily the cabin is booked for New Years so she was busy planning away at a huge trek with her girlfriend.

We made hamburgers for dinner and relaxed in the lounge playing cribbage with a real board.

Hostel: Forest Lodge

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Torlesse Tussocklands Park
Castle Hill
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