Flock Hill, New Zealand facts for kids

Flock Hill is a large farm, called a "station," located in the beautiful high country of New Zealand's South Island. It's about 75 minutes' drive from Christchurch, along State Highway 73 which is often called The Great Alpine Highway. This special place is found between Castle Hill Station and Cass, near Lake Pearson.

A Look Back at Flock Hill's Story

Flock Hill Station was once part of an even bigger piece of land called Craigieburn. This huge area stretched from Broken River to Lake Pearson and from the Waimakariri River to the Craigieburn Range.

In 1857, a man named Joseph Hawdon, who had made a lot of money in Australia, took over Craigieburn. When a new road to the West Coast opened in 1865, Hawdon saw a chance to start a hotel. He built it below the station, but today, no parts of the hotel remain.

Hawdon sold Craigieburn in 1867 to the Campbell brothers. By 1872, they went their separate ways. After that, different people and companies managed the land. In 1917, the large Craigieburn area was divided into three smaller parts.

James Milliken IV bought two of these parts and named his new farm "Flock Hill." He got the name from some scattered limestone rocks near Cave Stream. Many people thought these rocks looked like groups of stone sheep! At first, James Milliken also owned the nearby Castle Hill station, but he sold it in 1919. He wanted to focus all his energy on developing Flock Hill.

Today, Flock Hill Station is owned by the University of Canterbury and is leased out. Richard and Anna Hill manage the station, and it's still a working farm. They raise half-bred sheep and cattle there.

The Land and Its Features

Flock Hill is a huge area, covering about 14,000 hectares (that's over 34,000 acres!). Rivers form some of its natural borders. The Broken River is to the south, and 16 kilometers of the upper Waimakariri River are to the east. It also has 2 kilometers of land next to the beautiful Lake Pearson.

Flock Hill shares its only fenced border with Craigieburn station to the north. To the west, it borders Craigieburn State Forest and several club skifields. These include Broken River, Craigieburn, Mount Cheeseman, and Porter Heights.

The lowest part of the station is 500 meters (about 1,640 feet) above sea level. It rises to 2,000 meters (about 6,560 feet) at Mount Constitution. This wild area has seven alpine rivers and streams that flow for 66 kilometers (about 41 miles). These waters are known for being excellent places to fish.

The TranzAlpine railway, which is considered one of the most scenic train journeys in the world, travels for over 25 kilometers (about 15.5 miles) through the property. It winds its way up Broken River and along Slovens Stream.

Flock Hill in Movies and Events

Flock Hill was chosen as a filming location for a very famous movie! It was the setting for the big final battle in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (released in 2005). The grassy fields of Flock Hill became the magical land of Narnia. The distant peaks of the Torlesse Range looked like a dramatic background for the White Witch's palace.

Flock Hill also hosted the Alpine Unity New Year's festivals in 2002 and 2003.

A Special Place to Stay

The property also has a very fancy lodge called the FLOCKHILL Homestead. This luxury lodge has won many awards for being a great place to visit.