Arthur Dobson spent several months surveying in North Canterbury, reaching Lake Sumner and the Hurunui River. From December 1860, he spent two years with the German immigrant geologist Julius von Haast. Haast was appointed provincial geologist in February 1861, and he undertook much geological work with Dobson. The two undertook geological surveys, explored and surveyed the Kowai River, explored the Southern Alps and its glaciers and tried climbing mountains, succeeding with Mount Torlesse but failing to scale Mt Cook.