Kakahu is a

locality Locality may refer to: * Locality, a historical named location or place in Canada * Locality (association), an association of community regeneration organizations in England * Locality (linguistics) * Locality (settlement) * Suburbs and localitie ...

in the

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the county of Kent, England; it was a county borough until 1974. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. The city has a mild oceanic climat ...

region in the

South Island The South Island ( , 'the waters of Pounamu, Greenstone') is the largest of the three major islands of New Zealand by surface area, the others being the smaller but more populous North Island and Stewart Island. It is bordered to the north by ...

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

. It is located about 22 kilometers (13.6 mi) west of Geraldine. It is well known for its rich historical and geological history.

History

Kakahu Station run was taken up in 1853. The area was milled for

timber Lumber is wood that has been processed into uniform and useful sizes (dimensional lumber), including beams and planks or boards. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, window frames). ...

in the early years before the focus changed to the rich mineral landscape in the area this included

lime Lime most commonly refers to: * Lime (fruit), a green citrus fruit * Lime (material), inorganic materials containing calcium, usually calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide * Lime (color), a color between yellow and green Lime may also refer to: Bo ...

and

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock consisting of carbonate minerals (most commonly calcite (CaCO3) or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) that have recrystallized under the influence of heat and pressure. It has a crystalline texture, and is ty ...

. The area was home to numerous

lime kiln A lime kiln is a kiln used for the calcination of limestone (calcium carbonate) to produce the form of lime called ''quicklime'' (calcium oxide). The chemical equation for this reaction is: CaCO3 + heat → CaO + CO2 This reaction can tak ...

s and

quarries A quarry is a type of open-pit mine in which dimension stone, rock, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, gravel, or slate is excavated from the ground. The operation of quarries is regulated in some jurisdictions to manage their safet ...

over the years including the still intact Hall Road Kiln. A post office and two schools were constructed in the area. Kakahu School was opened in 1875 but was renamed in Hilton School in 1884 when the nearby Kakahu Bush School was opened. Kakahu Bush School was consolidated with Pleasant Point School in 1938. In 1910, St Aidan's

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

Church was constructed which would remain open up until 1964 when diminishing numbers saw the building relocated to Marchwiel.

Notable landmarks

Kakahu Lime Kiln

The Hall Road Kiln, the remaining

kiln A kiln is a thermally insulated chamber, a type of oven, that produces temperatures sufficient to complete some process, such as hardening, drying, or Chemical Changes, chemical changes. Kilns have been used for millennia to turn objects m ...

in the area was built in 1876 for or by Alexander Fergusson. The kiln can be seen from the road and is where the Kakahu Bush track commences. The kiln was used intermittently until the end of the twentieth century.

Kakahu Bush

Kakahu Bush is a large area of native bush in the Kakahu area. Within the bush a walking track follows the remains of an old tramway which brought

chips down from the

through the gorge. The track then passes through an opening where a number of English trees were planted in 1900 for a planned sanitarium for

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...

patients. The bush is well known for its native bush and wildlife, as well as its unique geological features.

Escarpment

Across the road from the Kakahu Bush car park is an impressive limestone

escarpment An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that forms as a result of faulting or erosion and separates two relatively level areas having different elevations. Due to the similarity, the term '' scarp'' may mistakenly be incorrectly used inte ...

with cultural and geological significance.

References

{{Coord, 44, 9, 18.18, S, 171, 5, 50.84, E, display=title Timaru District Populated places in the Canterbury Region