Castle Hill (mountain)
The Castle Hill ( German : Burg-Hügel ) refers to a hill located at an altitude of 900 m in the center of New Zealand's South Island . It is located approximately 100 kilometers west of Christchurch and 250 kilometers east of Greymouth on State Highway 73 .
The hill got its name because of the large number of limestone boulders of different sizes scattered around the area . These are vaguely reminiscent of an old, run-down castle. Large parts of the former ChristChurch Cathedral in Christchurch were made of limestone from Castle Hills.
In 2002, Tendzin Gyatsho , the 14th Dalai Lama , described Castle Hill as a "Spiritual Center of the Universe". There are some holiday homes in the nearby settlement of the same name. Castle Hill itself is one of the most important centers of the New Zealand climbing scene . The weather conditions alone are well suited for climbing because of the low rainfall. Furthermore, the countless limestone blocks of different sizes are extremely good for bouldering .
The area has seen additional tourist visits recently as parts of the film The Chronicles of Narnia: The King of Narnia were filmed nearby.
Web links
- Castle Hill Bouldering (English)