Access
The use of 4WD vehicles and trail bikes within Kopuwai is
limited to the formed tracks marked on the map. Vehicles
have already done considerable damage to fragile areas.
This leads to severe erosion, washouts, and a scarred,
landscape. Recovery can take many years – if ever!
Kopuwai has several entry points, the Prospect Hill,
Omeo Gully Tracks and Symes Road are good examples.
Access to the conservation area is on dry-weather, largely
un-maintained legal roads. In winter, because of snow
and ground conditions they become impassable and are
closed.
Vehicle access along the top of the Old Man Range as far
as Hyde Rock to the south and, the TV tower by Kopuwai/
The Obelisk to the north, is from Symes Road, straight up
the hill from Fruitlands.
The Duffers Saddle entrance is reached via Bannockburn
and the road to the Nevis Valley. Just over the brow, the
Old Woman Track goes off to the left and climbs to the
Kopuwai entrance about four kilometres away. The Old
Woman Hut is just inside Kopuwai’s boundary and vehicles
can continue to Boundary Gate – 4WD access beyond this
requires landowner permission. Walking, biking and horse
access is on a marked track, by courtesy of the landowner.
Heading south in the conservation area a well-defined
walking, biking and horse track leads to Hyde Rock on top
of the range. The other 4WD access point is from Shingle
Creek, via the Waikaia Bush Road.
Backcountry Huts
• The 6-bunk Old Woman Hut, 4 kilometres south of
Duffers Saddle
• The 3-bunk Boundary and 5-bunk Nicholsons Huts in the
Upper Fraser Basin
• The 6-bunk Junction Hut,at the junction of the Pomahaka
and Little Pomahaka Rivers.
Note: Junction Hut is jointly owned by DOC and the
Gunn family and is closed for the autumn muster, 1 April
to the second week of May.
The Old Woman and Junction Huts are standard huts,
adults $5 a night. Both huts have an honesty box, and
hut tickets can be bought from DOC offices nationwide.
Boundary and Nicholson Huts are basic huts and free of charge. Further Information
For further information and current conditions on Kopuwai,
contact DOC’s Central Otago Area Office or Central Otago
information centres.
Several access routes cross private land on easements
for walkers and mountain bikers only – vehicles need
landowner permission. Please respect livestock and
property and follow the instructions on DOC signs. Leave
gates as you find them and use stiles where they’re
provided.
This area is subject to weather extremes at any time of
year and roads can become very wet and swampy. DOC’s
Central Otago Area Office in Alexandra can advise on
current conditions.
General
In winter the ranges are blanketed in snow. In summer,
warm, pleasant conditions can reverse within minutes
with freezing temperatures, high winds and severe,
disorientating white-outs. Sensible clothing and footwear
is essential. Cover photo – Kopuwai/Obelisk
(John Robinson)
Published by Department of Conservation
PO Box 5244, Moray Place
Dunedin 9016.
June 2008. © Crown Copyright.
Rambling
around
Kopuwai
Kopuwai Conservation Area
Arapuwaipakiwaitaraorstory,recallsatimewhenhuntingpartiesfrom
coastalsettlementsventuringintotheinterioroftendisappearedwithout
trace.ThiswasbecauseofagiantcalledKopuwaiwholivednearthe
Clutha/Mata-AuRiverandpreyedonhumanswithapackofferocioustwoheadeddogs.ThepakiwaitararecallswhenKopuwaifoundapartyfrom
theKaitangataareaandkilledallofthem,exceptforayoungwomancalled
Kaiamio.Hetookherashisslave.
Fearsomeashewas,Kopuwaihadoneweakness;warm,nor-westwinds
madehimsleepy.Hewasawareofthisandknewthatwhenhenoddedoff,
Kaiamiowouldattempttoescape.Wheneverhefeltdrowsy,Kopuwaitieda
taura/flaxropetoherarm;ifeitherofthemmoved,he’dknowthatshewas
stillthere.Despitethat,Kaiamiowasabletooutwithimandescape.She
undidthetauraonherarmandtiedittoanearbyrush/wïwï,sothatwhen
thegiantstirred,hefelttheropegiveandtake,asifhisslavewastethered
tohim.
WhenKopuwaiwokeandsawthatKaiamowasgone,hewasenraged.In
searchingforher,hepickedupherscentinthewindalongtheMata-Au.
ThiswaswhenKopuwailiveduptothemeaningofhisname–waterswallower–asintryingtorecaptureherheswallowedsomuchoftheriver
thatitsbedwasdryforsometime.
Kopuwai Conservation Area
TheKopuwaiConservationAreacoverstheuplandsand
someoftheflanksoftheOldMan/KopuwaiandOld
WomanRangesthatformanimposingbackdroptothe
Clutha/Mata-AuValley.Theyrunfromnorth-westtosoutheast,creatingarainshadowthatblocksandabsorbs
southerlyfronts,makingCentralOtagoNewZealand’s
driestarea.
Kopuwai’s16,780hectaresbecameconservationland
fromtenurereviewoutcomesandlandpurchase.Itruns
from800metresabovesealevelto1,696metresatthe
Obelisk/KopuwaiontheOldManRange.Thelongsummit
crestisexposedandhasanaverageannualtemperature
closetozerodegreesC.Asaresulttherangesaredotted
withdistinctiveschistrocktorsandbisectedbyfieldsof
freeze-thawhummocksandmounds,creatingawave-like
effectacrosstheslopesandbasins.
History
TheOldManRange’sEuropeanhistoryrevolvesaround
goldminingandfarming.Extensivegolddepositswere
foundinPottersNo2,FraserBasinandOmeoGully.
Theywerechallengingplaceswithharshwintersthat
killedmanyminers.Fromthelate1800’smostofthe
uplandprovidedsummergrazingforsheepandcattlefrom
EarnscleughStationandneighbouringpastoralleases.This
continuestodayonpartsoftheconservationarea.
Recreation
WithinKopuwaiConservationAreayoucanroamatwill
onfoot.Thehummockfields,tops,andvalleysprovide
awiderangeofrecreationandwildernessexperiences:
mountainbiking,horseriding,4WDaccessonformed
tracks,discoveringgolddiggings,cross-countryskiingand
sightseeing.
Nestledintherangesaretheheadwatersandalpinebasins
ofCampbellCreekandthePomahakaandFraserRivers.
Therangesarealsobisectedbysteepgulliesthataddto
thearea’sremarkablediversity.HydeRock,forexample,
hasspectacularviewsoftypicalKopuwailandscapes.
Thisinvolvesashortwalkoutsidetheconservationarea,
signpostedoverastile.
Hunting
Recreationaldeerhuntingisencouragedintheconservation
area–permitsfromDOC’sAlexandraoffice,alongwith
accessandhuntingareainformation.
InthemeantimeKaiamohadescapedtoherhomeonthecoast.
IntentonseekingherrevengefromKopuwai,shereturnedwith
apartyofwarriorsandtheywaitedforanor-westwindtoputthe
gianttosleep.Whenthewindarrived,thewarriorsblockedthe
frontofthegiant’scavewithdrybrackenandfernsandlitthem.
ThesmokefinallywokeKopuwaiandhetriedtoescapethrough
aportalinthecave’sroof.Asheemerged,Kaiamo’swarparty
grabbedhimandbeathimtodeath.
KillingKopuwaiwaspossiblebecausehisferocious,two-headed
dogswereawayhunting.Whentheyreturnedandfoundtheir
mastergonetheysearched,butinvain.Intime,thedogsalso
diedandbecametransformedintowhatarenowrockyoutcrops
onhilltopsbetweentheOldManRange/KopuwaiandSouth
Canterbury.
TodayKopuwailivesonattheheartoftheconservationareainhis
physicalmanifestation,the26-metrerock,Kopuwai,alsoknown
astheObeliskorOldManRock.Theareaaroundtherockisthe
KopuwaiHistoricReserve;aNgäiTahuClaimsettlementoutcome
itisawähitaoka,aspecialplace.
Flora and Fauna
Thegroundcoverisdwarf,tundra-likevegetationofwindblastedcushionplants.Alowgrowingdracophyllum
dominatestheseareas,alongwithseveralmountaindaisies.
Bluetussockisprevalent,withothersmallnativegrasses
andoccasionalpatchesoftaller,slimsnowtussock.Lower
down,narrow-leafedsnowtussockisdominant.
Snowcanlingerforseveralmonthsayear;wetsnowbanks
hostsmallcushion-formingherbs.Therearelargerwetlands
ofbogs,seepagesandtarnsintheheadwatersofthe
FraserRiverandCampbellCreek.
Theloweraltitudescrublandhoststhegreywarbler/riorio,
silvereye/tauhou,Californianquailandotherintroduced
birds.Inopentussock:pipit/pïhoihoi,SouthIslandpied
oystercatcher/törea,bandeddotterel/tüturiwhatu,skylark,
redpollandyellowhammer.TheAustralasianharrier/kähuis
commonandtherareNewZealandfalcon/käreareaboth
nestshereandsoarsoverhead.
TheOldManRangeisasub-alpineislandforlizardsand
invertebrates:beetles,grasshoppers,weta,spidersand
moths,manyfoundnowhereelseintheworld.Individually
andcollectivelytheyhelpmaintainthenaturalbalanceof
thisuniquelandscape.
Shek Harn Historic Reserve
Obelisk Loop Track
Thisthree-hourreturnwalkfromKopuwai/The
ObeliskjoinstheOmeoGullyandProspect
HillTracks.Thetracktraversestherollingand
rockyOldManRange,withgreatviews.
Prospect Hill Track
Afavouritemountainbikingtripis
goingupthistrack,thencrossing
overandgoingdowntheOmeo
GullyTrack.Ontopoftherange,the
rollingpatternsofspurandgully,
tussockandherbfield,arepartofan
extraordinarylandscape.Theview
includestheManuherikiaBasinand
theOldWoman,Cairnmuir,Dunstan
andRaggedyRanges.FromtheFraser
DamRoadtotheKopuwaiboundaryis
asix-hourreturnwalk.
InwintertheProspectHillTrack
providesaccesstotheSisters/Rough
RidgecovenantforbackcountrySkiing.
Closedbetween15Octoberand15
Novemberforlambing.
Omeo Gully Track
OneofOtago’smostisolated,highest,least-knowngold
fields;thesix-hourreturnwalkissignpostedfromthecarpark
onOmeoGullyRoad,akilometreupFraserDamRoad.
Omeo’sgoldworkingsareinterestinganddistinctive:high
sluicefaces,deeprevettedtailraces,tallstackedtailingsand
dwellingremains.Mountainbikerswillenjoythewilddownhill
run,aftertheuphillgrind!Analternativetripisa90-minute
returnwalktoagoodlunchspotbythesecondfordover
OmeoCreek.
Closedbetween15Octoberand15Novemberforlambing.
TheroadtoShekHarn,offtheFraserDamRoad,isdryweatheronly.Thereturn
walkfromFraserDamtothereservetakesaboutanhour,withgoodviewsof
theFraserRivercascadingthroughadeepgorge.ShekHarnisCantonesefor
bigstoneditch,andthehistoricreservehasmanyremnantsofearlyalluvial
goldworkingsandmainlyChinesedwellings.ThemostimpressiveistheLong
House,abouttwokilometresaboveFraserDam.
Kopuwai/Obelisk
Thisdistinctiverocktoristheconservationarea’shighestpoint(1695m),witha
commanding360°view.FromRakiura/StewartIslandinthesouth,easttotheRock
andPillars,northtoAoraki/MountCook,thenMountsAspiring/TititeaandEarnslaw/
Pikirakatahiinthewest.Atopanexposed,tree-lessrange,bepreparedforsudden
changesintemperature.
Insummer,driveupSymesRoadfromtheFruitlandsturnoffandalongtheridgeline
trackontheOldManRangeforabouttwokilometrestotheObeliskviewpoint.The
lastsectionoftheroadissteepandrough;youmayprefertodothejourneyon
foot.2WDvehiclescanreachthetransmittersiteforaboutsixmonthsoftheyear,
thoughit’sbettersuitedfor4WDs,theycanusuallygethereforeightmonthsayear.
Inwintertheareaisblanketedinsnowforatleastthreemonths.
Donotparknearthetransmitterbuildingasvehicleelectronicscanbefrozenbythe
wavesitemits.
Alpine Battery
Thishistoricsitedatesbackto1882whenaten-stampbatteryandwaterwheel
wereerectedhere.Thebatteryremainscanbereachedfromthe4WDroadon
topoftherange.Thoughthereisn’tadefinedtrackthedescentonfoottakes
around30minutes.
Potters Number Two
PottersNumberTwoisintheCampbellCreekcatchment–PottersNumberOneis35
kilometresawayintheCarrickRange.Anumberofalluvialgolddiggingswereworked
herebetweenthe1860sand1900sandinterestingrelicsremain.Notonconservation
land,Pottersisaprotectedhistoricsite,reachedofftheWaikaiaBushRoadconnecting
ShingleCreekwithPianoFlatinSouthland.Ithasalwaysbeendifficulttogetto.In1863
therewasapoledtrackovertheOldManRangeandinthatyear’s‘greatsnow’,30men
diedofexposure,attemptingtocrosstherangetosafety.
All the material on and around old gold diggings are protected by law.
The removal of any object is illegal. Offenders will be prosecuted.
Artefacts on these sites have been security marked,though this is not
visible to the naked eye.
Protectplantsand
animals
Removerubbish
Burytoiletwaste
Keepstreamsandlakes
clean
Takecarewithfires
Campcarefully
Walkingtrack
Mountainbike
Trampingtrack
Vehicle
Route
4wheeldrive
Keeptothetrack
Considerothers
Respectourcultural
heritage
Enjoyyourvisit
Toitutewhenua(leave
thelandundisturbed)