Kawhatau Scenic Reserve
Kawhatau Scenic Reserve is a small 168 ha block in the Manawatu-Wanganui region, taken out under the Palmerston North Area Reserves permit area. Elevations run from about 408 m up to 731 m, with a median near 501 m, so it sits as mid-altitude bush country well below the bushline.
The block has a very strong south-east lean, with around 40% of the country facing south-east, another 30% south and 14% east. Almost nothing faces north or north-west. That gives a clear set of shaded easterly-to-southerly sidles, but it also means a north or west wind is hard to work on this block.
Game on the permit includes red deer, fallow deer, sambar and wild goat. The presence of sambar through these Palmerston North reserves is worth noting — they sit on the southern edge of the introduced sambar range.
Open Kawhatau Scenic Reserve on the interactive map
Boundary, huts, terrain, tracks and 1080 zones — all layers, one map.
Terrain & elevation
Based on a sample of 498 DEM points inside the block.
- Elevation range
- 408–731 m
- Median elevation
- 501 m
- Middle 50%
- 459–558 m
- Above bushline (1,200 m)
- 0%
- Alpine (1,500 m+)
- 0%
- Dominant aspect
- south-east-facing
408–731 m, lowland / foothill country, leaning south-east-facing.
What you can hunt here
Access & getting there
There are no huts or formal campsites inside the block, so plan to day-trip or fly-camp from a vehicle base.
Air access by helicopter is permitted, which gives an option to drop onto a likely face. The block is not flagged for wild animal recovery operations (WARO).
Permits & rules
You need a DOC hunting permit to hunt this block. It is classed as a Ordinary block in the Palmerston North Area Reserves 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.
Kawhatau Scenic Reserve is a Restricted block under the Palmerston North Area Reserves permit area. Access and hunting are by allocation through DOC rather than open permit — confirm the current process and any seasonal or party-size limits with DOC before planning a 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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