Ruataniwha
Ruataniwha is a large Canterbury block of roughly 9,185 hectares. Elevations run from about 535 m up to 2,528 m, with a median of 1,532 m, so this is predominantly alpine country that climbs hard from valley floor to high tops.
With 72% of sampled ground above the 1,200 m bushline and 52% in true alpine country above 1,500 m, this is predominantly alpine. Slopes lean predominantly north-east, with strong shares of east, south and south-east faces, giving long sunlit faces in the morning and shaded basins in the afternoon.
Game on the permit includes red deer, tahr and chamois. The scale and elevation make this serious alpine hunting country.
Open Ruataniwha on the interactive map
Boundary, huts, terrain, tracks and 1080 zones — all layers, one map.
Terrain & elevation
Based on a sample of 30,189 DEM points inside the block.
- Elevation range
- 535–2,528 m
- Median elevation
- 1,532 m
- Middle 50%
- 1,165–1,869 m
- Above bushline (1,200 m)
- 72%
- Alpine (1,500 m+)
- 52%
- Dominant aspect
- north-east-facing
535–2,528 m, predominantly alpine, leaning north-east-facing.
What you can hunt here
Access & getting there
There are no huts or formal campsites recorded inside the block, so trips here are typically fly-camp or carry-in setups using tents and bivvies. The block is open to air access, which is useful given the climb to the tops and the scale of the country.
Ruataniwha is also flagged as a wild animal recovery operations (WARO) zone, so commercial helicopter activity may overlap with hunters on the ground. Check current WARO status before heading in.
Permits & rules
You need a DOC hunting permit to hunt this block. It is classed as a Ordinary block in the Canterbury 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 for Ruataniwha. The block sits under the Canterbury permit area and is classed as an Ordinary block with hunting permitted year-round, so there is no ballot or seasonal restriction to work around.
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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