St James

A 42,566 hectare hunting area west of the Crimea range in the Rangiora district.

The area is a mixture of open river flats, extensive scrub and native forest on hill slopes and in gullies, rising to some open basins, rugged rocky ridges and mountain tops.

There is seasonal 4WD access into the area from the Tophouse Road via the Edwards Valley or over Malings Pass. Vehicle access is controlled by gates with combination codes that change regularly. Find out about St James motor vehicle access

Foot access is possible year round, up numerous gullies and ridges as well as Fowlers Pass Track. There is also foot access off the Lewis Pass Highway along the St James Walkway from the Boyle River and from the car park at the top of the Lewis Pass.

Helicopter access is also an option if the operator has permission from DOC to land in this area.

There is currently no public access into the St James area from Steyning Stream or the Lower Waiau River via Glenhope Station.

NZTopo 50 map sheets: BT23 Lewis Pass, BT 24 Ada Flat, BU23 Boyle Village, BS24 - Mt Robert

Dogs with a DOC permit are allowed only on the true left of the Waiau River - kiwi may be present on the true right.

St James Conservation Area

• Anne Hut
• Boyle Flat Hut
• Christopher (Ada) Cullers Hut
• Christopher Hut
• Jervois Hut
• Lake Guyon Hut
• Pool Hut
• Rokeby Hut
• Scotties Hut
• Stanley Vale Hut

Surrounding area

• Magdalen Hut
• Steyning Hut - note, this is a difficult foot access option due to access issues
• Stony Stream Bivvy

There are also options for small game hunting (rabbits and hares), game bird hunting and canada goose shooting. All require special permits from the local DOC office.

Before you go check the:

• avalanche terrain in this area.
• avalanche danger on the New Zealand Avalanche Advisory.