Korowai/Torlesse Tussocklands Park

Korowai/Torlesse Tussocklands Park is New Zealand's first tussock grasslands conservation park. It was formally 'opened' by former Conservation Minister, Sandra Lee, in November 2001.

Forest and Bird mooted the idea of this tusscklands park in 1991. Since then, pastoral lease and privately owned land has been acquired by the Crown either through retirement processes or purchased through the Nature Heritage Fund. The creation of the new park was assisted with the cooperation of the James family who formerly owned much of the area.

This 22,000 hectare park, only an hour's drive from Christchurch, is familiar to generations of walkers, trampers, botanists and photographers. It is also a haven for many strange alpine scree plants. Removal of cattle will safeguard the slim snow tussock of the Benmore Range.

Ngai Tahu interpreter and DoC contractor, Joseph Hullen, has already documented plant recovery after grazing was stopped. Four years after the removal of sheep from the Benmore Range, he has found it to be the stronghold of the rare and beautiful scree pea with over 400 plants over 17 sites centred on the new park.

This page was updated on 28 July, 2004