Gorge Creek - Blue Mountains
Gorge Creek - Blue Mountains is a 195-hectare public hunting block in Otago, within the Blue Mountains complex of the Murihiku restricted hunting areas. Elevations run from about 142 m up to 486 m with a median around 260 m, putting most of the ground in lowland and foothill country.
This is low country well under the bushline — bush, scrub and pasture-edge rather than open tops. Slopes lean south-east-facing, which influences where animals feed and bed through the day.
Recorded game on the block includes fallow deer and wild pig. It is classic foothill fallow and pig country rather than alpine ground. The Blue Mountains are a low forested range south-west of Tapanui, known nationally as fallow deer country.
Open Gorge Creek - Blue Mountains on the interactive map
Boundary, huts, terrain, tracks and 1080 zones — all layers, one map.
Terrain & elevation
Based on a sample of 720 DEM points inside the block.
- Elevation range
- 142–486 m
- Median elevation
- 260 m
- Middle 50%
- 216–319 m
- Above bushline (1,200 m)
- 0%
- Alpine (1,500 m+)
- 0%
- Dominant aspect
- south-east-facing
142–486 m, lowland / foothill country, leaning south-east-facing.
What you can hunt here
Access & getting there
Helicopter and fixed-wing access is permitted on the block, though for low country like this most hunters drive in and walk from a vehicle. WARO is not permitted on the block, so commercial helicopter shooting is not a factor.
There are no DOC huts or campsites recorded inside the block, so hunters need to base themselves outside the boundary or carry a fly or tent.
Permits & rules
You need a DOC hunting permit to hunt this block. It is classed as a RHA block in the Murihiku Hunting Restricted Areas permit area, with a hunting status of Restricted.
This block sits within a DOC air-access zone — fly-in hunting and helicopter drop-offs may be permitted.
Gorge Creek - Blue Mountains is a Recreational Hunting Area carrying a Restricted hunt status. A DOC hunting permit is required and access conditions can include party-size limits, dog rules or seasonal closures — read the permit conditions carefully before each trip.
1080 & pesticide status
- An operation is planned for this area.
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