3 January 2014 - Balmoral Forest Reserve, North Canterbury

It was cold this morning when we rose; we donned sweatshirts and shivered before checking the internal temperature gauge; 20 degrees! What wooses we have become! After breakfast we headed back into Hanmer Springs, bought another loaf of that tempting artisan bread and the Saturday paper, then wandered about the abandoned Queen Mary Hospital Historic Reserve. 

The hospital which operated from 1916 through to 2003, played a role in the lives and wellbeing of many New Zealanders; for us, relatives of friends, and for anyone of a certain age, it is a familiar name. It was established here in recognition of the benefits of the thermal springs as well as the healing qualities of the alpine air, although I am sure the reality had more to do with the fact that the patients were so far removed from well-meaning kin.

The area around the hot springs including the Queen Mary Hospital grounds was proclaimed a reserve in 1860 and became nationally recognised as a government spa resort after baths were built in the 1880s. Development of the grounds commenced around the same time with extensive tree planting and a later focus on ornamental garden beds.

A Sanatorium was opened in 1897 to accommodate visitors of fragile health who were taking the waters, this building burnt down in 1914, the day after World War I was declared. In its stead, the Queen Mary Hospital for Sick and Wounded Soldiers (Soldiers’ Block) was opened in 1916 as a military hospital to treat shell-shocked servicemen. This was followed by facilities to treat women with nervous disorders in 1926 (Chisholm Ward). From 1928, the now predominantly female staff were housed in the Nurses Hostel. The Soldier’s Block was upgraded during World War II to again care for returning servicemen. In 1960 the control of the Queen Mary Hospital was transferred to the Hospital Division of Mental Hygiene for the treatment of alcohol and drug dependency. The Queen Mary Hospital finally closed in 2003 when government funding was withdrawn. In 2010, as a result of community and Council efforts to protect the site, 5.3 hectares and three national significant historic buildings were vested in the Hurunui District Council to be managed as an historic reserve.

We wandered through the stands of huge old trees, peered through the windows of the closed up buildings and wondered at the work involved to make this look less derelict. Then we headed back up into the Hanmer Forest Park.  

Here and all about Hanmer, we had seen references to prisoners planting many of the exotic trees at the beginning of the last century and yet no further reference to who or where those prisoners came from. Further research has brought to light the fact that between 1900 and 1901 reserve land was set aside in Hanmer Springs for planting exotic trees to supply the Christchurch market. Planting of radiata pine and Douglas Fir began between 1902 and 1903 and prison labour was used between 1903 and 1913. There were twenty five prisoners here in 1904, most of whom had asked to serve their sentence at Hanmer. Conditions were the same as a city prison, the only difference being that men received an additional four marks a week remission for industry.

Another report states that the accommodation was designed to fit on a truck or railway wagons so that the camp could be moved to each new planting block. The “tents” were constructed with a timber frame and canvas cover. The also had fireplaces, essential for the cold alpine environment. There was no actual security or fencing and there is no history of escapes. The locals say it was a long way to run back to Christchurch. I say that doesn’t sound as if “conditions were the same as a city prison”.

Setting off on the one hour Woodland Walk, we were back at the camper within quarter of an hour; the map and directions are poor although not so that you would become lost. So we crossed the road into the same area as yesterday and took the longer hour long Forest Walk, rather than yesterday’s Amble. This took us little over half an hour, but we did walk briskly. We walked through beautiful woodland, most of the trees originating from European, full of chaffinches and blackbirds who Chris suggested would feel most at home in such an environment. It was still cold and I am keen to up my fitness stakes in preparation for any more serious walking we might do in the near future. 

Before we left town we wandered about the craft market chatting with various stall holders. One had some very cunning picnic table and bench sets that folded down into a more compact arrangement; I told him we couldn’t fit his nifty invention in our motorhome. 

We popped back into the Four Square and purchased a spray can of impersonal insect repellent; up at the Forest Park we had discovered mosquitos, some of whom had left their mark on Chris.

It was late in the morning by the time we drove south out of Hamner, past last night’s camp and across the Waiau River to join the road that joins Christchurch with the Lewis Pass. The road was busy; I guess are heading home for work in a couple of days and still have to mow their lawns. We stopped near Mouse Point for lunch then drove on south, passing through the small rural service centre of Culverdon. Here the few cafes and dairies were doing a roaring trade catering for the thirst, hunger or boredom of the travellers. We carried on across the fertile grazing plains between the Waiau and the Hurunui Rivers, until we reached the Balmoral Forest.

The Balmoral Forest is one of Canterbury’s largest exotic forests, planted on poor land on the north bank of the Hurunui River. It has twice been victim to disaster, the first in 1957 when the second largest plantation fire in New Zealand swept through and destroyed 2,991 hectares and again in 1975 when wind did further damage. In 1955 the Balmoral Forest was the largest in Canterbury covering an area of 7,446 hectares comprising Radiata, Corsican and Ponderosa pine.

It was after the second weather event and the last windblown logs had been railed out that the Waiau branch line was closed. That 1978 closure was the last of the Canterbury lines.

Now there is just the picnic and camping ground left for the use of the public, administered by a Charitable Trust and run by volunteers. Here there is water and basic toilet facilities for a fee of $5 per camping party. Between Christmas and New Year there were apparently 400 in and I do believe that number refers to the number of camping parties as opposed to the number of campers. Most have headed home, but there are still lots of families enjoying the sunshine and the school holidays, although not so many to deter us isolation seekers. Alas Chris cannot pick up the cricket match being played at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, in his new radio, nor do we have sufficient internet to hitch up with Olly on Skype as he would like. However we should be in civilisation tomorrow; Chris is worried about his chipped tooth so we need to find a dentist.