OTAGO CANTERBURY Oteake Oteake Further information Conservation Park Ka Moana Haehae/Alexandra office Conservation Park 43 Dunstan Rd Alexandra, 9320 Haere mai, welcome Traverse the tops of mountains PO Box 176 Explore and experience Oteake, a vast PHONE: 03 440 2040 landscape of golden tussock and EMAIL: [email protected] changing light. www.doc.govt.nz Oteake is 67,000 ha of mountainous high country, tussock plateaus, scree slopes, shrubland and wetland. The distinctive flat-topped Hawkdun Range is the park’s centrepiece, often featured in painting, photography, poetry and prose. Oteake Conservation Park and adjoining public conservation land covers 79,000 ha, including large sections of the Saint Bathans, Ewe, Hawkdun, Wether, Ida and Saint Marys ranges and parts of the upper Manuherikia basin. The park offers spectacular 4WD opportunities and tramping, mountain biking, fishing, backcountry skiing, horse riding, photography and hunting Cover: 4WD tracks in Oteake. Photo: ©Stef Cotteret Back: The ranges of Oteake Conservation Park at sunrise. opportunities. There are many significant Photo: Crystal Brindle gold-mining sites to explore, including Buster Diggings and the Scandinavian Published by: Water Race. Department of Conservation Ka Moana Haehae/Alexandra office 43 Dunstan Rd Alexandra, 9320 December 2019 Editing and design: DOC Creative Services This publication is produced using paper sourced from well-managed, renewable and legally logged forests. R145906 Oteake highlights History Plants and animals Experience the landscape of changing light • The Kai Tahu iwi believe that Oteake (‘place Oteake’s landscape comprises rounded tussock-covered with a 4WD along the tops via Mount Buster Rd of the ake’) is named for the ake ake: Olearia hills, grey shrubland on the valley floors, and alpine to Johnstones Creek Track. avicenniifolia, a conspicuous shrub daisy found herb fields and fell fields in the hilltops. Otago species • Travel the backcountry tracks linking in the park. Oteake is also the indigenous name reach their northern limits here, and Canterbury species Saint Bathans with Omarama. for both the Kye Burn and a stream on the other reach their southern limits. The park protects numerous • Stay overnight in a high-country mustering hut. side of the range. communities, including cypress hebe, native coral broom and scree pea. • Enjoy unique native shrubland and waterfall Oteake was important to tangata whenua from views with a walk along the Little Kye Burn. coastal Otago kāika (settlements) for mahika kai The New Zealand falcon/kārearea, geckos such as the • Explore Buster Diggings, spectacular quartz – places for gathering food. Weka were hunted Otago large gecko (Woodworthia sp.), and rare native fish gravel sculptures. and plants gathered. Stone quarries in the upper like the roundhead galaxias (Galaxias anomalus) and • Mountain bike the Ida Water Race Track Manuherikia are evidence of iwi activity. flathead galaxias(Galaxias depressiceps), are found here. with your family. Oteake’s European history began in the 1850s, laxia e ga s. Ph when pastoral leases were issued throughout pin ot al o: a R ki o the South Island’s high country, creating large ri d Check, Clean, Dry e M h u o Stop the spread of didymo and other freshwater leaseholdings such as Hawkdun, Omarama, n r r a i s pests. Remember to Check, Clean, Dry all items Otekaike and Morven Hill stations. These were M before entering, and when moving between, waterways. subdivided over time, and more recently have become Oteake Conservation Park. No unauthorised drones An authorisation is required from DOC to use drones The park shows evidence of gold mining with on public conservation land. To apply, visit www.doc.govt.nz/drones. remains of water races, prospecting pits, hut sites and alluvial mining sluicings. Buster Diggings, land falcon Photo: K McKinley ea . P a spectacular sculptural landform created by Z ho ew to N : / K alluvial gold mining, was once New Zealand’s a re L a a e n highest goldfield at 1,200 m. r g ā e K Coral broom. Coral broom. Photo: Amanda Ware Photo: G Crowcroft Scree pea. Scree Buster diggings. Things to see and do Places to stay Oteake offers spectacular walking and tramping, See map for hut locations. 4WD journeys and more. You can stay in one of the distinctive huts for a memorable overnight experience. Some are former All marked tracks are suitable for horse riding, mustering huts relocated from the Roxburgh dam mountain biking and walking (except Little Kyeburn . Photo: R Wardle or Otago Central Railway. Track, which is for walkers only). The many unmarked tracks in the park require good route-finding and backcountry skills. Ski tour Huts Several access routes cross The park has ten huts and a basic campsite (see below). private land. Respect You need to buy a hut ticket before your stay. this by keeping to the Standard hut: Has mattresses, water supply and formed tracks and toilets. One hut ticket per night, children up to leaving gates as you 10 years free. find them. Photo: Phil Tisch Basic hut: Basic shelter with limited facilities. Free. Some huts have fireplaces. Bring your own Walking and tramping wood if you plan to use them, as this is All tracks in the park are suitable tussockland – there are no trees. Oteake 4WD. for walking/tramping and many offer views, and picnic and swimming spots. Little Camping KyeBurn Track is a great summer day walk along The Homestead off Hawkdun Runs Rd is the only Kye Burn stream through native shrubland up to the campsite within the park. St Bathans Domain and remarkable Buster Diggings. Danseys Pass Recreation Reserve, off Kyeburn Diggings For more walking tracks, see the ‘Track descriptions’ Rd, are nearby and provide good bases from which to section overleaf. explore Oteake. All campsites are ‘basic’ campsites – they are free Photo: Matt Sole 4WD and motorbike tracks of charge, have toilets, and use water from nearby streams. You can camp anywhere in the park. Choose The park’s 4WD tracks are open to Oteake. vehicles between Labour Weekend and your site carefully to minimise damage to the landscape, 30 April, but may be closed at any time as tracks are Other activities and follow the Leave No Trace rules. susceptible to damage. Hunting: There is good hunting for deer and pigs in All vehicles must stay on the formed marked tracks Oteake Conservation Park. Visit www.doc.govt.nz shown on the map. You must have experience driving for a permit. Do not hunt outside the park. 4WD vehicles on steep and rough terrain. Dogs: Dogs are allowed in Oteake Conservation Do not attempt routes if you are unsure. It may be Park but must always be under control. difficult to reverse or pass other traffic. You should Horse riding Ski touring/ be self-sufficient and carry recovery equipment snow shoeing appropriate to the conditions and terrain. Fishing Untreated water – Water at huts is not treated or Mountain biking tested, and may not be suitable for drinking, food preparation, tooth brushing or washing dishes. Oteake offers tracks for everyone, from beginners to Boil water before use. adventurous bikers, with half- and full-day options. No fires – as the huts do have fire places. Some popular mountain bike tracks include: Note: Ida Railway and Tailings huts have a shared-use arrangement with the Mount Ida syndicate. These huts may Half day: Mount Ida Water Race Track be in use from 7 January to 30 April – call DOC to check 18 km availability (see back cover). A great family trip with views and opportunities for smaller loops. TOP TO BOTTOM: Ida Railway Hut. Photo: Phil Tisch Wire Yard Hut. Full day: East/West Manuherikia Track Loop Photo: DOC Buster Hut. Photo: Tessa Bunny 50 km from Hawkdun Runs Rd, or 43 km via Saddle Ridge Track 43 km starting from Broken Hut Rd Photo: Phil Oliver There are many river crossings on West Manuherikia, and a steady climb after Top Hut. Saddle Ridge Track is steep; for an easier gradient but longer ride, take Broken Hut Rd. For more mountain biking tracks and details on track grades, see the ‘Track description’ section overleaf. East Manuherikia Track. Track gradients Omarama Saddle eek Hut r 1200 op Hut 1100 T 1000 9000 Boundary C oken Hut Road car park 800 The Homestead campsite (Hawkdun Runs Road) r Elevation (m) B 700 600 West Manuherikia Track 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 Distance (km) 1600 Wire Yards Hut Ida Railway Hut 1400 Chimney Creek Hut track junction Buster Diggings Buster Hut 1200 ailings Hut 1000 T Mt Buster Road car park Elevation (m) 800 Home Hills Runs Road car park 600 Mt Buster – Johnstones Creek Track 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 Distance (km) Track descriptions From Broken Hut Road car park, the track travels along 5 Hut Creek Hut Track the flat across farmland before a steady climb to the Tailings Hut, past Hut Creek Hut to The map in this brochure is a guide only – you should Omarama Saddle (9.5 km from the car park), providing Conservation Boundary: 4–5 hr, 15 km an easier gradient than the East Manuherikia Track. carry 1:50,000 topographical maps: sheets NZTopo50 It is 8 km from the Tailings Hut to Hut Creek The track descends steeply to the valley with numerous CA14, CA15, CA16, CB14, CB15, CB16, CB17. Hut. Beyond Hut Creek Hut, the track becomes rocky, river crossings to Hawkdun Runs Rd. There are two steep and narrow. The track ends at the park boundary huts along this track. Track grades with no access to the Waitaki valley.