Wilkin - Lower, Mid and Upper hunting

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

General information

This block takes in the entire Wilkin River catchment, except for the valley floor and faces on the true right from about 3 km below Kerin Forks, which are leased farmland. The block contains a mixture of beech/tawhai forest, broad grassy flats, subalpine shrubland and alpine tussock, rock and snow.

The block divides into three separately balloted portions – lower, mid and upper Wilkin – for the ROAR period during the months of March and April. The boundaries are at Kerin Forks, and at the top end of Jumboland Flats.

Access

There are three ways of accessing the Wilkin block:

• Air access to the airstrip in Siberia Valley.
• Commercial jetboat access to Kerin Forks. Private jetboats can use Wilkin River by notifying Wilkin River Jets prior.
• Walking access – from the Haast Highway (SH6) turn off onto Wilkinvale Road (beside Country Café). Follow the road to the Makarora River, and cross upstream of the Wilkin River confluence. Once across the Makarora the land is pastoral lease and you need to contact the landholder for permission.

Landholders

Scott Patterson, Mt Albert Station, ph +64 3 443 4497.

Maps

NZTopo50 series: BZ11, BZ12

• Lower Wilkin hunting block map (PDF, 979K)
• Mid Wilkin hunting block map (PDF, 869K)
• Upper Wilkin hunting block map (PDF, 853K)

Dogs

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

Huts

• Kerin Forks Hut
• Top Forks Hut