Routeburn
Routeburn is a 2,151 ha RHA in Mount Aspiring National Park east of the divide, in the Glenorchy headwaters. Elevations run from 551 m on the valley floor to 2,091 m on the tops, with a median of 1,375 m. Seventy per cent of the country sits above the 1,200 m bushline and 35% in true alpine ground.
This is mostly above the bushline tops country, with valley beech running up to open faces and rocky basins. The block leans north-west, so the lower bush stays in shade through the morning and the upper faces fire up later in the day.
Game on the permit is red deer, fallow deer, white-tail and chamois. White-tail in this drainage is a notable feature — they're not common in alpine country — and the species mix is one of the broader public-land permits in the wider district.
Open Routeburn on the interactive map
Boundary, huts, terrain, tracks and 1080 zones — all layers, one map.
Terrain & elevation
Based on a sample of 7,361 DEM points inside the block.
- Elevation range
- 551–2,091 m
- Median elevation
- 1,375 m
- Middle 50%
- 1,154–1,588 m
- Above bushline (1,200 m)
- 70%
- Alpine (1,500 m+)
- 35%
- Dominant aspect
- north-west-facing
551–2,091 m, mostly above the bushline, leaning north-west-facing.
What you can hunt here
Access & getting there
Helicopter access is permitted on the Routeburn block, and Wild Animal Recovery Operations (WARO) are also permitted, so commercial helicopters may be working the open faces.
There are no DOC huts or campsites recorded inside the hunting block — parties will be fly-camping or working off a base outside the boundary.
Permits & rules
You need a DOC hunting permit to hunt this block. It is classed as a RHA block in the Mount Aspiring National Park east of divide 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, and Routeburn is an RHA with a Permitted hunt status in Mount Aspiring National Park east of divide. RHA conditions apply, so confirm current access rules and any party-size limits with DOC before 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.
Get roar & 1080 alerts for the areas you hunt
We'll email you when pesticide operations, ballot dates or access conditions change for Otago.
Sign up →