Tenure Review: Ben Ohau
Hectares to freehold: 4210 ha
Hectares to conservation: 1516 ha
Public access: Tenure Review has formalised public access to 1516 ha of conservation land at Ben Ohau, administered by the Department of Conservation.
Three separate areas are now public conservation land: Pukaki Flats between state highway 8 and the Pukaki River; land alongside Darts Bush and Fraser Stream;Waterwheel Wetland beside Lake Poaka.
Ben Ohau Station is located a few kilometres from Twizel. It encompasses primarily flat country that extends from the Pukaki River through to the lower slopes of the Ben Ohau Range.
Battle scenes from the Lord of the Rings were filmed there, as well as name car advertisements, using the Ben Ohau Range as a backdrop.
Where you can go
Access to the new conservation areas will be via easements and marginal strips. These will be signposted from early November, 2003. The main access points are from the Pukaki Canal Road towards Pyramid Saddle and Darts Bush; and from the Rhoboro Road west to Fraser Stream and Darts Bush Stream. Marginal strips have been established along Darts Bush, Fraser, and Dry streams, and the Twizel River.
What you can see and do
The area has huge opportunities for walking, mountain biking and horse-riding. The easement up the northern boundary will in the future allow for a route to Lake Ohau, returning via Ben Ohau Swamp and the Pukaki Canal Road, making a round trip for hikers or mountain bikers. Fraser Stream is known locally for its fishing.
Protected plants and animals
Tenure Rreview will help protect the endangered black stilt / kakī, found in Ben Ohau's wetlands, with Lake Poaka a key site for kakī and several wetland birds such as bittern, marsh crake and pied stilt. New Zealand falcon is occasionally seen on the tops.
Fraser Stream is significant for its diversity of native fish, including alpine, long-jawed and common galaxiids, upland bully and koaro.
Pukaki Flat protects a remnant of hard tussock grasslands, a plant community that was once widespread in the Mackenzie Basin. Other native plants found here include mat daisies, native broom, blue tussock and native daphne.
Historical value
Ben Ohau Station was originally settled by High and Samual Fraser in 1857 and covered over 80,000 acres. It has been in the Cameron family since 1891 (Simon Cameron was the most recent leaseholder.)
Simon's grandfather, JEP Cameron, sub-divided the station in 1920, turning over 41,806 acres to the crown for soldier resettlement.
Historic sites include old rabbiter huts, old coaching roads, and the homestead which dates from 1904-05.
Freehold opportunities
The former leaseholders at Ben Ohau, the Camerons, now own 4210 ha of the station. They can now use their freehold land like any other New Zealand landowner, free from leasehold restrictions but subject to the Resource Management Act.
Tenure Review - getting the best use out of the land
In Tenure Review, LINZ applies a process under the Crown Pastoral Land Act. Tenure Review improves public access to the high country, protects or retains land with significant inherent values (historic, scientific, ecological and cultural values) in Crown ownership and enables leaseholders to own land with economic potential capable of economic use.
For more details about public access or conservation benefits please contact:
DOC media liaison:
Community Relations Officer, media
Canterbury Conservancy
Private Bag 4715
CHRISTCHURCH
PH: (03) 371 3742
FX: (03) 379 5408
or
Department of Conservation
Twizel Area Office
Wairepo Road
Private Bag
Twizel
PH: 64 3 435 0802
FAX: 64 3 435 0852
For more details about economic farming benefits please contact:
Bob Douglas
Secretary, South Island High Country Committee
Farming House
PO Box 665
Timaru
PH: (0800) 327-646.
FAX: (03) 688-4096.
HM TEL/FAX: (03) 686-4762.
MOBILE: 021 622 822
Email: southcanterbury.ff@fedfarm.org.nz
For more information about the Tenure Review process please contact:
Paul Jackson
Manager, Crown Property
Land Information New Zealand
PO Box 5501
WELLINGTON
PH: 04 460 0158
FAX: 04 460 0590
CELL: 027 249 1258
EMAIL: pjackson@linz.govt.nz
LINZ media liaison:
Michael Mead
Senior Communications Adviser
Land Information New Zealand
PO Box 5501
WELLINGTON
PH: (04) 498 3516
FAX: (04) 472 1864
CELL: 027 444 3901
EMAIL: mmead@linz.govt.nz
DOC media liaison:
Community Relations Officer, media
Canterbury Conservancy
Private Bag 4715
CHRISTCHURCH
PH: (03) 371 3742
FX: (03) 379 5408
EMAIL: smankelow@doc.govt.nz
