One of the largest pastoral leases in the country, Glenaray Station comprises approximately 51,000ha of pasture, rolling tussock-lands and mountain tops on the Garvie and Umbrella Mountains. It almost encircles Waikaia Forest (stewardship land), one of the most significant tracts of native beech forest in Southland, a bush remnant of highest ecological value. Glenaray Station includes some top quality tramping and hunting terrain. The Titan Rocks and Blue Lake and surrounds are especially popular with trampers in summer and with snow-shoers and ski-tourers in winter. You can see a detailed map of the station here.

Land Information New Zealand has released a preliminary proposal for the tenure review of Glenaray Station and of the adjacent Whitecomb run, an additional 11,000ha under same ownership. You can read more in the news here. The preliminary proposal is now open for public consultation; submissions close on Monday 27 January 2020.

The preliminary proposal is summarized in the map below. Pink area is to be turned into public conservation land (shaded pink – with grazing licence), green is to be freeholded and yellow is to be freeholded under covenant. Notice that block CC3 (Titan Rocks) is to be covenanted with a wander-at-will public access provision (dogs excluded and hunting prohibited). All documents relating to the proposal can be downloaded from the LINZ website.

FMC considers the land included in this tenure review proposal of high importance for the future of our Remarkables National Park campaign, and for the reclassification of Waikaia Forest as part of our Forgotten Lands campaign. FMC will therefore write a detailed submission on the proposal.

Photo at top: Lake Scott and Blue Lake, Garvie Mountains. (c) Gary Dixon