Thread: Rimutaka Forrest Park

Can any of the Welly hunters pls clear up some confusion about Rimutaka access ?

I spoke to the lady at GWRC today today when applying for the Regional Council Hunting permit. That covers Akatarawa, Kaitoke and Pakuratahi.

They also apparently run a ballot system for access to the Catchpool side of Rimutaka Forrest Park during the roar... She seemed to think that during the rest of the year there was no hunting access.

On the DOC site I found:
Because of a high level of public use, hunting or discharge of firearms is not permitted in the Catchpool Valley, Landcare Research block, the Orongorongo Valley within 200 m of the edge of the river-bed and within 200 m of the Orongorongo Track.

And on the Deerstalkers site I found:
WRC provides some opportunities, in terms of a hunter ballot, to shoot in the WRC Wainuiomata Water catchment.

So, other than the Catchpool and Landcare areas, is the rest of the southern portion of Rimutaka open for hunting year round?

Does the GWRC ballot only apply to the Wainui water collection area (not the rest of the forrest park) ? And I assume the ballot is only for the roar, so no hunting access for the rest of the year to Wainui water collection area ?

The terms Orongorongo Catchment, Wainuiomata Catchment all seem to be used for the same valley ! Can't find a map that clearly shows the areas defined...
Turere Catchment is the kiwi research area between McKerrow track and Whakanui track.

Ta, EBF

Other than pigs, I've sort of written off that whole southern part for hunting anyway. Hard to define boundaries/bugger all space where hunting is allowed.

What's GWRC?

Originally Posted by Dougie

Other than pigs, I've sort of written off that whole southern part for hunting anyway. Hard to define boundaries/bugger all space where hunting is allowed.

What's GWRC?

Greater Wellington Regional Council would be my guess?

Yup, like Ryan said.

There be goats in dem hills Dougie, don't write them off just yet

Orongorongo side is also one of the places where you can hear Kiwis in the wild on an overnight trip, very cool. Downside is lots of dog restrictions...

Originally Posted by Ryan

Greater Wellington Regional Council would be my guess?

No while I lived there for 10 + years till I got lifted up by a typical 3000 mph wind and deposited gently in the great heart of the Waikato (Waikato beer is shite though )
it was always called

Greater WankeyBollocks Regional Council ....

Originally Posted by Happy

(Waikato beer is shite though )

Happy, being mooloo through and through I have to correct you. Waikato beer is not shite. It makes you shite really well though.

Originally Posted by Rushy

Happy, being mooloo through and through I have to correct you. Waikato beer is not shite. It makes you shite really well though.

Now don't you start getting political with me bro... EBF will kick us both right up the bottom..

Trip up Thompson tommorrow early start workin on a little project with a bit of gear... Top secret ask Leathel he he ..

Originally Posted by Happy

Trip up Thompson tommorrow early start workin on a little project with a bit of gear... Top secret ask Leathel he he ..

Must get up there some day. It would be a lot closer than where I usually head off to.

haha Happy, the typical 3000km/h wind blew over a motorbike rider and a caravan yesterday. General advisory NOT to use Rimutaka hill road. Calm as today, nice hot summer day.

Originally Posted by ebf

haha Happy, the typical 3000km/h wind blew over a motorbike rider and a caravan yesterday. General advisory NOT to use Rimutaka hill road. Calm as today, nice hot summer day.

I just fell asleep in the sun, on my thermarest and pillow woke up cos it's too hot!

Yes EBF you are right, no hunting in catchpool area , landcare research which is from browns stream down to peak? stream ( around abouts) . I would stay the true left north of big bend to be safe from the large amounts of trampers etc.

BTW the lady at the council should have given you a brochure for hunting each area in there, either that or go and pick one up. It shows all the gwrc/doc boundaries. Im sure you can probably get them on the gwrc website.

Be prepared to camp in there as the gates dont usually open till 7.30-8am in the mornings.. or walk in early and leave your car on the main road. And get used to climbing steep hills and scaling scree slips

Sweet, sounds like a top and tailing under a fly sheet trip is coming up!!!

Tx scoped, much appreciated. yup, the area you mention isn't exactly flat

have had a couple of early morning waiting sessions for the ranger

The pamphlets at GWRC are for akatarawa, pakuratahi and hutt water collection, nothing on orongorongo. They did have a map related to the blocks for the roar ballot, will go back and have another look at that.

]Dougie we are so lucky you don't live near the Kaimais you'd have them devoid of all deer in a short period of time so you just stay there please. In fact I reckon you need a special unobtainable VISA to hunt past Taupo ...he he..

Originally Posted by Dougie

Sweet, sounds like a top and tailing under a fly sheet trip is coming up!!!

Haha, you start working on your permission slip, I'll put in my request.
Did I mention STEEP, think 3 times the altitude gain of today's walk...