Mount Aurum
Mount Aurum is a 6,859 ha block in the Cardrona/Glenorchy/Shotover permit area, in the Skippers country north of Queenstown. Elevations run from 461 m on the valley floors to 2,229 m on the tops, with a median of 986 m. Twenty-eight per cent of the block sits above the 1,200 m bushline, with 9% in true alpine ground.
This is a mix of bush and tops country with a strong valley-floor and lower-faces emphasis, the higher ridges punching up out of beech and scrub. The block leans south-east, so the lower morning sun lights the country well for first-light glassing.
The permit covers red deer, fallow deer, chamois and wild goat. The Skippers terrain gives plenty of bush-edge for deer with the option to push up to chamois country on the higher faces.
Open Mount Aurum on the interactive map
Boundary, huts, terrain, tracks and 1080 zones — all layers, one map.
Terrain & elevation
Based on a sample of 18,469 DEM points inside the block.
- Elevation range
- 461–2,229 m
- Median elevation
- 986 m
- Middle 50%
- 811–1,238 m
- Above bushline (1,200 m)
- 28%
- Alpine (1,500 m+)
- 9%
- Dominant aspect
- south-east-facing
461–2,229 m, a mix of bush and tops, leaning south-east-facing.
What you can hunt here
Access & getting there
Helicopter access is permitted on Mount Aurum, and Wild Animal Recovery Operations (WARO) are also permitted, so commercial helicopters may be working the block at times.
Five DOC huts sit inside the block in the Skippers area — Dynamo Hut, Dynamo Red Hut, Crystal Hut, Bullendale Hut and Archie's Hut on Copper Creek. All are non-bookable and most have heating, mattresses and non-flush toilets, with water from tap (boil before use) or stream. The cluster of huts makes Mount Aurum unusually well-served for a Cardrona/Shotover block.
Huts & campsites
Heating, 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, 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
Toilets - non-flush, Water from stream, Water supply
Heating, Mattresses, Toilets - non-flush, Water from tap - not treated, boil before use, Water supply
Heating, Toilets - non-flush, Water from stream, Water supply
Permits & rules
You need a DOC hunting permit to hunt this block. It is classed as a Ordinary block in the Cardrona/Glenorchy/Shotover permit area, with a hunting status of Restricted.
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, and Mount Aurum sits within the Cardrona/Glenorchy/Shotover permit area. The block is Ordinary with a Restricted hunt status, so confirm the current access conditions and any party-size limits with DOC before booking 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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