Cracroft Reserve is a public reserve on Cracroft Hill in the Cashmere suburb of

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon Rive ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 List of islands of New Zealand, smaller islands. It is the ...

. It is situated next to the

Sign of the Takahe The Sign of the Takahe is a neo-Gothic style historic building in Christchurch, New Zealand. It is currently leased from Christchurch City Council and run as a cafe, bar, and function centre. History Construction began on the building in 19 ...

. Cracroft Reserve is a popular stop for tourists, and residents, with its viewing platform at elevation providing panoramic views of

city, the

Canterbury Plains The Canterbury Plains () are an area in New Zealand centred in the Mid Canterbury, to the south of the city of Christchurch in the Canterbury region. Their northern extremes are at the foot of the Hundalee Hills in the Hurunui District, and in ...

, and the

Southern Alps The Southern Alps (; officially Southern Alps / Kā Tiritiri o te Moana) is a mountain range extending along much of the length of New Zealand's South Island, reaching its greatest elevations near the range's western side. The name "Souther ...

. The main entrance to the reserve is from the southern end of Hackthorne Road. The reserve features a sturdy stainless steel plane table pointing to a wide range of landmarks visible from Cracroft Reserve, from

Aoraki / Mount Cook Aoraki / Mount Cook is the highest mountain in New Zealand. Its height, as of 2014, is listed as . It sits in the Southern Alps, the mountain range that runs the length of the South Island. A popular tourist destination, it is also a favourite ...

to the south to

Mount Tapuaenuku Tapuae-o-Uenuku, formerly Mount Tapuaenuku, is the highest peak in the northeast of New Zealand's South Island. The name translates from Māori as "footprint of the rainbow", though is usually regarded as being named after Chief Tapuaenuku. A ...

to the north. This sign, set on a Halswell stone base, was erected by the Rotary Club of Christchurch in 1967. Cracroft Reserve is named after

John Cracroft Wilson Sir John Cracroft Wilson (21 May 1808 – 2 March 1881), also known as Nabob Wilson, was a British-educated civil servant in India, farmer and politician in New Zealand. Early life John Cracroft Wilson was born in Onamore, India, the son of Al ...

. Cracroft Wilson sold the property, once part of the larger Cashmere farm, to the city in about 1925, as part of prominent local politician Harry Ell's initiative to establish a network of reserves, rest houses, and tracks through the Christchurch

Port Hills The Port Hills are a range of hills in Canterbury Region, so named because they lie between the city of Christchurch and its port at Lyttelton. They are an eroded remnant of the Lyttelton volcano, which erupted millions of years ago. The h ...

Notes

References

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External links

Species observed in Cracroft Reserve (iNaturallst NZ)
Parks in Christchurch Tourist attractions in Christchurch Protected areas of Canterbury, New Zealand Landforms of Canterbury, New Zealand {{CanterburyNZ-geo-stub