Eyre Mountains at dusk
Image: John Barkla | ©

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Introduction

The park provides unique opportunities to enjoy a backcountry experience in a remote setting. The area is isolated and, for the most part, physically demanding. You can visit the tiny fragile historic Dog Box Hut.
  • Tramping, fishing, hunting, four wheel driving, mountain biking, horse riding, picnicking and camping are popular options in this remote and scenic landscape. 
  • The smallest hut in the land, Dog Box Hut captures the lost era of the horseback high country muster.
  • You can stay in Beech Hut, one of the oldest musterer’s huts remaining in Southland.
  • There are good camping opportunities throughout the park. The Irthing Valley Picnic Area has a toilet and barbeque areas are provided. Elsewhere campers must be more self-sufficient. There are several beech clearings near hut sites suitable for pitching tents, as well as opportunities to camp in open valleys.
  • The park covers 65,160 ha of existing public conservation land and includes the headwaters of the Upper Mataura and Ōreti Rivers that eventually flow into Foveaux Strait.
  • The terrain at the southern end of the park is typically more gentle than the north, with altitudes dropping to 400 m in places.

Find things to do and places to stay Eyre Mountains/Taka Rā Haka Conservation Park

There are limited but challenging climbing opportunities including Eyre Peak at1969 m, and Jane Peak at 2022 m, the highest in Southland outside Fiordland National Park.

Trout fishing is particularly popular on the Oreti and Mataura Rivers, situated on the edge of the park. Within the park the Windley and Mataura Rivers also provide opportunities for anglers. Contact Southland Fish & Game for more information and fishing licences.

There is 4WD access to all the main valleys in the Eyre Mountains. These range from formed, metal roads to offroad tracks, with conditions varying from easy to difficult. Most of the access routes to the park are surrounded by pastoral runs or plantation forestry. Respect private land and leave gates as you find them.

Unless otherwise stated, there is legal public access through most of the stations surrounding the Eyre Mountains. These are generally well marked with green and gold posts – refer to the DOC signage enroute.

Horse riding is permitted in the Eyre Creek and Upper Mataura River.

Check, Clean, Dry

Clean all gear when moving between waterways to prevent the spread of didymo and other freshwater pests.

How to check, clean, dry your gear.

Contacts

DOC Customer Service Centre
Phone 0800 275 362
Email invercargill@doc.govt.nz
Address DOC offices
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