Leith Saddle facts for kids
Leith Saddle is a special place in New Zealand, like a low point or dip between two higher areas. It sits between the start of the Water of Leith and the Waitati River. You can find it about halfway between Dunedin's northern suburb of Pine Hill and the small town of Waitati.
This saddle is important because State Highway 1, a main road, goes right through it. This road, also known as the Dunedin Northern Motorway, passes through a delicate mountain forest here. There are also water pipes, and popular walking (tramping) and cycling paths that meet at Leith Saddle.
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What is Leith Saddle?
Leith Saddle is a "saddle" because it's a low point or pass in a hilly area. It connects different valleys and is a natural route for roads and paths. The Water of Leith starts very close to Leith Saddle, about 100 metres to the south. It begins at a height of 380 metres above sea level.
Exploring the Leith Saddle Track
If you love the outdoors, the Leith Saddle Track is a great adventure! This walking path takes about 3.5 hours to climb. It goes through a native cloud forest, which is a special type of forest often covered in mist. The track leads up to Swampy Spur and then to Swampy Summit. From there, you can connect to other walking trails in the Silverpeaks area and the hills around Dunedin.
Roads and Safety
The Dunedin Northern Motorway, which is part of State Highway 1, has a flat intersection at Leith Saddle. This means other local roads, like Leith Valley Road and Waitati Valley Road, meet the motorway at the same level. These local roads don't have much traffic and have gravel surfaces. This makes them very popular and safe for cyclists.
Road authorities have been looking at making changes to State Highway 1 near Leith Saddle. In 2004, they mentioned plans to make the road straighter and safer. However, building new parts of the road would mean removing some of the very old trees in the forest.
Leith Saddle has had more accidents than other parts of the New Zealand state highway network. In 2004, road authorities said that the number of accidents had gone up by 50% in the ten years before that. They believed that making the road straighter would help reduce crashes. It could also help traffic flow better, save fuel, and lower pollution from cars.
Unique Forest and Plants
The forest at Leith Saddle is special because it has a type of tree called Libocedrus. This tree is also known as Pahautea, Kaikawaka, or New Zealand cedar (its scientific name is Libocedrus bidwillii). It's quite rare to find this tree in this particular part of New Zealand, which makes the forest here even more unique.
Dunedin's Water Supply
Leith Saddle is also important for Dunedin's water supply. A special pipeline runs over the saddle, collecting water from small streams that flow into the Waitati River. This water then travels south to two of Dunedin's water reservoirs in Leith Valley: Ross Creek Reservoir and Sullivans Dam.
Also, clean, treated water from Dunedin's main water system is sent north through a new pipeline. This water goes to rural towns like Waitati, Warrington, and Seacliff.
