Big Hill/ Potts/ Clearwater/ Cameron
Big Hill, Potts, Clearwater and Cameron together form a 36,335-hectare block of Hakatere Conservation Park country in inland Canterbury. Elevations range from 544 m at the valley floors to 2,781 m on the highest peaks, with a median of 1,256 m. Fifty-five per cent of the block sits above the 1,200 m bushline and 31% is alpine, giving a strong mix of bush and tops.
The block leans south-west-facing, with notable south-west, south and south-east aspects — colder, shadier sidles that hold animals tight to cover on warm days. Lower margins carry beech and matagouri terraces, while the upper basins are rock, scree and tussock.
Hunters can chase red deer, tahr, chamois, wild goat and wild pig here — a broad species list that reflects the range from foothill country to high alpine.
Open Big Hill/ Potts/ Clearwater/ Cameron on the interactive map
Boundary, huts, terrain, tracks and 1080 zones — all layers, one map.
Terrain & elevation
Based on a sample of 118,183 DEM points inside the block.
- Elevation range
- 544–2,781 m
- Median elevation
- 1,256 m
- Middle 50%
- 937–1,593 m
- Above bushline (1,200 m)
- 55%
- Alpine (1,500 m+)
- 31%
- Dominant aspect
- south-west-facing
544–2,781 m, mostly above the bushline, leaning south-west-facing.
What you can hunt here
Access & getting there
Helicopter access is permitted and Wild Animal Recovery Operations (WARO) are also permitted, so expect commercial activity at times in the higher catchments.
Four DOC huts in Hakatere Conservation Park sit within the block, none bookable. Potts Hut and Cameron Hut both have mattresses, non-flush toilets and treated-after-boil tap or stream water; Potts also has heating and Cameron has internal lighting. Top Hut and Boundary Creek Hut are simpler, with heating and mattresses only. Together they give the block usable bases at four different drainages.
Huts & campsites
Heating, Mattresses
Heating, Mattresses, Toilets - non-flush, Water from stream, Water supply
Heating, Mattresses
Mattresses, Lighting, Toilets - non-flush, Water from tap - not treated, boil before use, Water supply
Heating, Mattresses
Heating, Mattresses, Toilets - non-flush, Water from stream, Water supply
Heating, Mattresses
Permits & rules
You need a DOC hunting permit to hunt this block. It is classed as a Ordinary block in the Canterbury permit area, with a hunting status of Permitted.
Commercial wild-animal recovery (WARO) operates over this area — expect helicopter activity and pressured game.
This block sits within a DOC air-access zone — fly-in hunting and helicopter drop-offs may be permitted.
A DOC hunting permit is required for the Canterbury permit area. The block is classified Ordinary with Permitted hunt status, so it sits outside the ballot system — permits can be drawn online before each trip.
1080 & pesticide status
No current, planned or proposed pesticide operations intersect this block in our data. Always confirm with DOC before taking a dog in.
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