No such thing as a hunting block where it isn't going to be dangerous, @Young dane. Shit can happen anywhere, especially if you are on your own. There are only spots that are either more or less dangerous then somewhere else. Lots of day hunters get rescued out of country that isn't that remote, after breaking a leg or similar.
The central North Island is great. However a lot of the hill country to the west can be pretty treacherous in terms of gradient and in particular in the papa-rock country, through the Taranaki and western Ruapehu regions down towards Wanganui. The gullies and gorges are basically vertical gradient and have caught out many a hunter (and many a pig dog). So whilst day trips are a good idea, don't for a moment think that something is less likely to go wrong just because you are planning to go back to your car...
(I can say this because I've got myself into real difficulty a couple of times, including knocking myself out by falling on a steep slope.)
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