Whitiau Scientific Reserve
Whitiau Scientific Reserve is a small 246 ha block in the Manawatu-Wanganui region, taken out under the Whanganui Restricted permit area. Elevations are essentially sea level — running from 0 m up to 27 m, with a median of just 5 m. This is coastal flat country sitting well below the bushline (and below pretty much everything else).
The block has a strong south-westerly lean, with about 35% of the country facing south-west and useful shares also dropping to south, west and south-east. The reserve is a coastal landform rather than a bush block, with sparse cover.
Game on the permit includes red deer, fallow deer, sambar and wild goat. The presence of sambar is notable — this Whitiau country sits at the western edge of the small introduced sambar range.
Open Whitiau Scientific Reserve on the interactive map
Boundary, huts, terrain, tracks and 1080 zones — all layers, one map.
Terrain & elevation
Based on a sample of 714 DEM points inside the block.
- Elevation range
- 0–27 m
- Median elevation
- 5 m
- Middle 50%
- 3–11 m
- Above bushline (1,200 m)
- 0%
- Alpine (1,500 m+)
- 0%
- Dominant aspect
- south-west-facing
0–27 m, lowland / foothill country, leaning south-west-facing.
What you can hunt here
Access & getting there
There are no huts or formal campsites inside the block, so plan to day-trip from a vehicle base. The coastal nature of the reserve means access is generally on foot from the surrounding road network.
Air access by helicopter is not permitted here, and 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 Whanganui Ristricted permit area, with a hunting status of Restricted.
Whitiau Scientific Reserve is a Restricted block under the Whanganui Restricted permit area. Access and hunting are by allocation through DOC rather than open permit, and as a scientific reserve there may be additional conditions — confirm the current process 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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