Waituna
Waituna is a 952-hectare hunting block in Stewart Island/Rakiura. Elevations run from near sea level to 490 m, with a median around 131 m.
The country here is lowland and foothill country, with slopes that lean south-west. Rakiura is low-altitude bush country — dense podocarp and broadleaf forest down to the coast, with no tree line and mild but wet weather year round.
Game on the block includes red deer and white-tail. Stewart Island carries the only public-land herd of white-tail in New Zealand, hunted at low altitude in heavy bush.
Open Waituna on the interactive map
Boundary, huts, terrain, tracks and 1080 zones — all layers, one map.
Terrain & elevation
Based on a sample of 3,474 DEM points inside the block.
- Elevation range
- 0–490 m
- Median elevation
- 131 m
- Middle 50%
- 75–216 m
- Above bushline (1,200 m)
- 0%
- Alpine (1,500 m+)
- 0%
- Dominant aspect
- south-west-facing
0–490 m, lowland / foothill country, leaning south-west-facing.
What you can hunt here
Access & getting there
Access to Waituna is typically by boat from Halfmoon Bay (Oban), or on foot via Rakiura's coastal track network. Helicopter access is not flagged on this block, so most hunters arrive by water taxi and walk in from the nearest landing or hut.
No DOC huts or campsites are recorded inside the block, so most parties base from accommodation in Oban or set a camp once dropped off by water taxi.
Permits & rules
You need a DOC hunting permit to hunt this block. It is classed as a Ordinary block in the Stewart Island Restricted Hunting Areas permit area, with a hunting status of Restricted.
A DOC hunting permit is required for Waituna, and the block is classed as Restricted within the Stewart Island Restricted Hunting Areas. Stewart Island blocks are allocated through DOC's online permit system in fixed hunting periods — check available dates and entry conditions before booking transport.
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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