Castle Hill April Fool

About

Kura Tawhiti, also named Castle Hill by early European travellers, is a conservation area located between the Torlesse and Craigeburn mountain ranges in the South Island. Its most distinctive geological feature is rampart-like limestone rock formations, making it a popular site for climbers. Because of its exposed alpine location weather conditions can be extreme.

Kura Tawhiti, meaning ‘the treasure from a distant land’, has great historical significance for Ngāi Tahu, who are actively involved with the management of its conservation. Knowledge of trails, shelters, rock drawings and historical food cultivation sites is an intrinsic part of past and present tribal identity.

Towards the northern end is an area facing several escarpments, the most distant is about 200m away from the recording location. In still weather these can generate multiple echoes of varying length, direction and timbre. Typical soundscape components are pulsating insects, transient birds, gusts of wind against grass and rocks and distant traffic on state highway 73.