DOC

Conservation management has been part of the Glenorchy community since the first Ranger staff were based here with the gazettal of Mount Aspiring National Park in 1964 and the Ranger Station built in 1968.

Today, the Ranger Station/Field Base has a strong compliment of Ranger staff undertaking a number of work programmes in the area. The District Office and Regional Visitor Centre are both located in Queenstown some 50km down the road. 

The Department of Conservation is responsible for the land management of hundreds of hectares in the Glenorchy area including part of Mount Aspiring National Park, Conservation Areas, Wild Life Management Reserves, Scenic and Recreation Reserves, Historic Reserves, Marginal and Esplanade Reserves.

In this area, the department is responsible for the management and maintenance of some 200km of tracks, 40 huts, 15 amenity and camp areas.

Five walking tracks of national/international reknown lie within the Glenorchy area:

• Routeburn
• Rees/Dart
• Greenstown/Caples

A score of tracks ranging from Short Walksand Day walks through to ten day epics radiate out from here.

The department also has an active Bio-Assets monitoring programme centred here with at risk species including Mohua (YellowHead), native Bat, Parakeet, Kaka, Kea,Falcon and braided river seasonal migratory Wrybill but to name a few.

A number of Historic sites are maintained both actively and passively including Whakaari Conservation Area with it Scheelite history and the Invincible Gold Mine site.

Archaeological sites include those of importance to Iwi, and a number of different moa species finds including that of the most complete skeleton of an alpine moa discovered to date at 1070m.

Conservation lands afford permitted hunting opportunities for a number of species including Red Deer, Fallow Deer, Virginian Whitetail Deer, Chamois, goats.

Some waterfowl hunting is permitted on Wildlife Management Reserves and marginal strips – Hunting Permits must be obtained prior to hunting from the Department of Conservation in Queenstown. DOC permits do not allow hunting rights on private lands. Hunters must be aware of land boundaries.

The department works closely with landowners in bringing control on a number of noxious and invasive weed plants including gorse,broom, Spanish Heath, willow, Clematis Vitalba, Hawthorn, wilding pines etc. There are also Community orientated projects.

Volunteers sometimes assist Ranger staff with works across a range of work programmes.

See DOC volunteer opportunities in the area or refer to the OUR NATURAL WORLD page on this site.

To contact DOC Field Centre Glenorchy call 03 442 9937.