Kaweka Forest Park
Kaweka Forest Park is a 63,025-hectare park on the inland side of Hawke's Bay, climbing from valley floors at 207 m to the Kaweka tops at 1,719 m. With a median elevation of 935 m and 17% of the block sitting above the 1,200 m bushline, this is a mix of bush and tops country, with broad beech-clad ridges below and open snow-grass tops above.
The park leans east, with significant south-east, south and west aspects spread across a deeply dissected catchment system. Expect long beech ridges, scree-bordered tops, and the classic Kaweka mix of bush gut, leatherwood-rimmed sidles and open ridgeline.
The park is one of the great sika hunting destinations in New Zealand, with red deer, wild goat and wild pig also present. The depth of catchment, scale of the park and quality of the sika herd put Kaweka at the centre of any North Island sika hunter's calendar.
The sika roar runs through April into early May — slightly later than the red roar — and is the busiest period on the park's huts and ridgelines. Winter pushes deer into the valley bush for close-quarters stalking, and the shoulder seasons offer quieter hunting over the same country. For the wider region, see our Hawke's Bay hunting guide.
Open Kaweka Forest Park on the interactive map
Boundary, huts, terrain, tracks and 1080 zones — all layers, one map.
Terrain & elevation
Based on a sample of 180,275 DEM points inside the block.
- Elevation range
- 207–1,719 m
- Median elevation
- 935 m
- Middle 50%
- 734–1,124 m
- Above bushline (1,200 m)
- 17%
- Alpine (1,500 m+)
- 1%
- Dominant aspect
- east-facing
207–1,719 m, a mix of bush and tops, leaning east-facing.
What you can hunt here
Access & getting there
Helicopter access is not permitted on this block, so the park is walk-in country. Wild Animal Recovery Operations (WARO) are permitted, so commercial helicopter shooting can be expected at times.
The park is well served by a large network of non-bookable DOC huts and bivvies, including Studholme Saddle, Back Ridge, Manson, Manson Bivvy, Rocks Ahead Hut and Bivouac, Kiwi Saddle, Middle Hill, Tussock, Ballard, Venison Tops (Tira Lodge), Harkness, Black Birch Bivouac, Dominie, Otutu, Kiwi Mouth, Makino, Kaweka Flats Bivvy, Mangatainoka, Ngaawapurua, Omarukokere Bivvy, Te Pukeohikarua (Te Puke), Iron Whare, Mackintosh, Cameron, Mangaturutu, Back Ridge Bivouac and Makahu Saddle. Most carry heating, mattresses, non-flush toilets and stream or tap water (untreated, boil before use). Four DOC campsites — Cameron, Kuripapango (Ox Bow), Mangatutu Hot Springs and Lawrence — give road-end and short-walk-in options.
Huts & campsites
Heating, Mattresses, Toilets - non-flush, Water from stream, Water supply
Heating, Mattresses, Toilets - non-flush, Water from stream, Water supply
Mattresses, Toilets - non-flush, Water from tap - not treated, boil before use, Water supply
Mattresses, Toilets - non-flush, Water from stream, Water supply
Heating, Mattresses, Toilets - non-flush, Water from tap - not treated, boil before use, Water supply
Heating, Mattresses, Toilets - non-flush, Water from tap - not treated, boil before use, Water supply
Heating, Mattresses, Toilets - non-flush, Water from tap - not treated, boil before use, Water supply
Heating, Mattresses, Toilets - non-flush, Water from tap - not treated, boil before use, Water supply
Heating, Mattresses, Toilets - non-flush, Water from tap - not treated, boil before use, Water supply
Heating, Mattresses, Toilets - non-flush, Water from tap - not treated, boil before use, Water supply
Heating, Mattresses, Toilets - non-flush, Water from tap - not treated, boil before use, Water supply
Mattresses
Mattresses, Toilets - non-flush, Water from tap - not treated, boil before use, Water supply
Heating, Toilets - non-flush, Water from stream, Water supply
Heating, Mattresses, Toilets - non-flush, Water from tap - not treated, boil before use, Water supply
Heating, Mattresses, Toilets - non-flush, Water from stream, Water supply
Heating, Mattresses, Toilets - non-flush, Water from tap - not treated, boil before use, Water supply
Mattresses, Toilets - non-flush, Water from stream, Water supply
Heating, Mattresses, Toilets - non-flush, Water from stream, Water supply
Heating, Mattresses, Toilets - non-flush, Water from stream, Water supply
Mattresses, Toilets - non-flush, Water from stream, Water supply
Heating, Mattresses, Toilets - non-flush, Water from stream, Water supply
Toilets - non-flush, Water from stream, Water supply
Heating, Mattresses, Toilets - non-flush, Water from stream, Water supply
Heating, Mattresses, Toilets - non-flush, Water from tap - not treated, boil before use, Water supply
Heating, Mattresses, Toilets - non-flush, Water from stream, Water supply
Heating, Mattresses, Toilets - non-flush, Water from tap - not treated, boil before use, Water supply
Mattresses, Toilets - non-flush, Water from stream, Water supply
Heating, Mattresses, Toilets - non-flush, Water from stream, Water supply
Heating, Mattresses, Toilets - non-flush, Water from stream, Water supply
Heating, Mattresses, Toilets - non-flush, Water from stream, Water supply
Mattresses, Toilets - non-flush, Water from tap - not treated, boil before use, Water supply
Mattresses, Toilets - non-flush, Water from stream, Water supply
Heating, Mattresses, Toilets - non-flush, Water from tap - not treated, boil before use, Water supply
Heating, Mattresses, Toilets - non-flush, Water from tap - not treated, boil before use, Water supply
Heating, Mattresses, Toilets - non-flush, Water from tap - not treated, boil before use, Water supply
Heating, Mattresses, Toilets - non-flush, Water from tap - not treated, boil before use, Water supply
Heating, Mattresses, Toilets - non-flush, Water from tap - not treated, boil before use, Water supply
Heating, Mattresses, Toilets - non-flush, Water from tap - not treated, boil before use, Water supply
Heating, Mattresses, Toilets - non-flush, Water from tap - not treated, boil before use, Water supply
Mattresses
Mattresses, Toilets - non-flush, Water from tap - not treated, boil before use, Water supply
Heating, Toilets - non-flush, Water from stream, Water supply
Campsites: Cameron Campsite, Kuripapango (Ox Bow) Campsite, Mangatutu Hot Springs Campsite, Lawrence Campsite.
Permits & rules
You need a DOC hunting permit to hunt this block. It is classed as a Ordinary block in the Kaweka Forest Park permit area, with a hunting status of Permitted.
Commercial wild-animal recovery (WARO) operates over this area — expect helicopter activity and pressured game.
A DOC hunting permit is required for the Kaweka Forest Park permit area, covering this Ordinary block. The park has Permitted hunt status, so no ballot applies for general access and permits can be drawn through the standard DOC online system before each trip. Some Kaweka units have separate seasonal or access conditions, so check the permit conditions carefully when applying.
1080 & pesticide status
- Pesticide (1080 or similar) was recorded as laid in or near this block in DOC’s data as at 26 May 2026 — check current dog and carcass restrictions before you hunt.
Data snapshot: 26 May 2026 — always reconfirm with DOC before relying on this.
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