Kitchener

Kitchener/Ruth Flat hunting block offers red deer and chamois hunting.

Animals present are red deer and chamois, in low to moderate numbers.

This block takes in the upper East Matukituki catchment, from Junction Flat up to the head of the valley at Rabbit Pass, and including the Kitchener River. The block contains a mixture of beech/tawhai forest, broad grassy flats, subalpine shrubland and alpine tussock, rock and snow.

The block divides into two separately balloted portions – Kitchener and Ruth Flat – for the ROAR period during the months of March and April. The boundary follows the ridge from Junction Flat up to Sisyphus Peak.

See Wanaka roar block system.

The use of shotguns, shotgun-rifle combos, .22 calibre and rim-fire firearms are prohibited on public conservation land unless stated otherwise.

Stay safe when crossing rivers

If you plan to cross unbridged rivers, know how to cross safely and be prepared for if you cannot cross.

Do not cross if the river is flooded, you cannot find safe entry and exit points or are unsure it’s safe. Turn back or wait for the river to drop. If in doubt, stay out.

How to cross rivers safely

Niwa's river flow forecast video gives a national overview and regional river flow forecasts.

Pesticide operations

Check for current pesticide operations that may be in progress where you intend to hunt using the pesticide summary map

Pesticide Summary

To access this block, follow the East Matukituki Track, which starts at Cameron Flat, 48 km from Wanaka on the Mt Aspiring Road. You can either:

• If the river is low, cross at Cameron Flat, entrance indicated by signage on Mt Aspiring Road.
• If the river is high, use the Otago Boys High School swingbridge, about 3 km upstream

The hunting block begins about half an hour above the Glacier Burn. Below the Glacier Burn, the track crosses private land, and you need landholder permission for hunting access.

There are no helicopter landing sites in this block. Access is by foot only.

East Matukituki Valley tracks

Landholders

Randall Aspinall, Mt Aspiring Station, ph +64 21 647 155.

• NZTopo50 series: BZ11, CA11
• Kitchener hunting block map (PDF, 1,893K)
• Ruth Flat hunting block map (PDF, 1,535K)

Dogs are not allowed in this block as it is part of Mount Aspiring National Park.

There are no huts in this block, but there are two rock bivvies:

• The Rock of Ages Biv is near the head of Aspiring Flats in the Kitchener Valley, 20 metres into the bush.
• There is also a biv near Ruth Flat at E1270880, N5082210.