Last updated November 2026
Turn a tap in Dunedin and there is a good chance the water started its journey in Te Papanui Conservation Park, a 21,000 ha sweep of tussock on the Lammermoor and Lammerlaw ranges about 50 km west of the city.
The Department of Conservation manages the park as a remote experience area, and says it protects 60 percent of Dunedin’s water catchment.
Peaty basins, bogs, tarns and parallel streams break up the rolling snow tussock, with Ailsa Craig as the high point. Walking, mountain biking, four-wheel driving, horse trekking, cross-country skiing and hunting are all possible, much of it along the 4WD road that crosses the park between the Old Dunstan Road and Gardiners Track entrances.
Practical Information
- Location
- Lammermoor and Lammerlaw ranges; main entrance on Old Dunstan Road, about 5 km past Rocklands Station, reached from State Highway 87 at Clarks Junction
- Distance from the city
- About 50 km west of Dunedin (DOC)
- Size
- 21,000 ha
- Opening hours
- Park gates locked in winter, from 4 June to 20 October (possibly earlier, depending on track conditions); the 4WD road also closes when fire danger is extreme
- Dogs
- Allowed, but on a lead at all times while crossing the Dunedin City Council water reserve on the Eldorado Track
- Facilities
- None listed; DOC says there are no DOC huts in the park
- Rules
- No fires; vehicles and mountain bikes stay on the marked 4WD track; hunting by permit
- Managed by
- Department of Conservation
- Status
- Department of Conservation: Te Papanui Conservation Park page
- Track markers
- On marked bush tracks, DOC and most councils use orange triangles for the walking route. Triangles or tape in other colours, usually pink or blue, mark pest-control lines and traps. They can lead off the track, so don’t follow them.
About Te Papanui Conservation Park
Te Papanui is upland grassland rather than forest. DOC describes sweeping, rolling tussock cut by parallel streams, with small patches of silver beech (tawhai) in some gullies and bogs and tarns scattered across the tops. It is very exposed, with little shelter and few landmarks to navigate by, and DOC’s brochure stresses the strong sense of remoteness.
Narrow-leaved snow tussock, or wī kura (Chionochloa rigida), covers much of the park, along with rare wetland plants and spongy mossfields. DOC points out that intact tussock grassland like this is becoming rare internationally because of grazing and burning, and calls the area a biogeographical centre of national importance.
More than 500 native insect species have been recorded, some found nowhere else. The streams hold three threatened native fish: Eldon’s galaxias and dusky galaxias, both nationally endangered, and the nationally vulnerable Taieri flathead galaxias.
The park opened in March 2003. DOC’s brochure traces it back to the Nardoo Scientific Reserve, one of the earliest tussock reserves, set aside in the 1980s from part of the Waipori Farm Settlement. Tenure review of the Rocklands and Halwyn pastoral leases in the 1990s added more land, together with purchases through the Nature Heritage Fund.
Dunedin’s Water Catchment
Water has been taken from these ranges since the gold rushes. DOC’s brochure says the area supplied the Waipori goldfields during the Otago gold rushes and fed water races as far as Gabriels Gully at Lawrence, 50 km away.
Today two pipelines, with intakes at Deep Creek (built in the 1930s) and Deep Stream (built in the 1970s), deliver up to 65 percent of Dunedin’s water.
Because the park supplies the city’s drinking water, DOC treats contamination as a serious public health risk. Giardia is present, so don’t drink from the creeks; bring your own water.
The Eldorado Track route crosses council water reserve land, and DOC points to the council’s Deep Stream Water Supply Catchment page for the access permit; the council lists that catchment as controlled under its water supply bylaw, with permission needed to enter.
Getting There and Getting Around
DOC describes three ways in:
- Old Dunstan Road: the main route. Take State Highway 87 from Outram, turn left at Clarks Junction onto Old Dunstan Road, and the park entrance is on the left about 5 km past Rocklands Station. Any vehicle can reach the gate, but 4WD is recommended beyond it. DOC notes that Dunedin City Council also closes Old Dunstan Road between Sutton Stream and Styx Creek from early June to 30 September each year.
- Gardiners Track: via Waipori Road and Mountain Road through Glendhu Forest. Any vehicle can reach the start of Mountain Road, with 4WD recommended from there. Logging may block Mountain Road and Gardiners Track on weekdays.
- Eldorado Track: from Mahinerangi Road, walking only beyond a locked gate across the council’s water reserve, which needs a council access permit.
DOC says the formed 4WD track is in good condition from the main gate to Ailsa Craig, and suggests asking the local DOC office about the rest of it.
Vehicles must carry a winch or other extraction gear for boggy ground, and both vehicles and mountain bikes must stay on the marked track, because the land is sensitive and slow to recover from damage. Hunters need a DOC permit for pigs and red deer.
Weather and Planning
Snow can fall at any time of year on the tops, especially in winter, and the weather can change quickly, so carry warm clothing. Mobile coverage is unreliable, and DOC recommends a compass, GPS, a personal locator beacon and NZTopo50 maps.
Fires are banned outright: “absolutely no fires are allowed in the park”, in DOC’s words, and you should park away from vegetation. Leave your plans with someone you trust through AdventureSmart’s outdoor intentions form or Plan My Walk.
Where to Learn More
Department of Conservation: Te Papanui Conservation Park: park information, access, gate dates and rules. Park information: Crown Copyright: Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai 2026. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Department of Conservation: Te Papanui hunting block: species, access and permit information for hunters.
Dunedin City Council: Deep Stream Water Supply Catchment: a controlled catchment under the council’s water supply bylaw, where permission to enter is required (DOC links here for the Eldorado Track access permit).
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Te Papanui Conservation Park?
On the Lammermoor and Lammerlaw ranges, about 50 km west of Dunedin. The main entrance is on Old Dunstan Road, about 5 km past Rocklands Station.
How big is the park?
About 21,000 ha of tussock grassland, bogs and tarns.
When is the park gate open?
The gate is locked in winter, from 4 June to 20 October, and can close earlier depending on track conditions. The 4WD road also closes when fire danger is extreme.
Do I need a 4WD?
Any vehicle can reach the park gate on Old Dunstan Road, but DOC recommends 4WD beyond it and says vehicles should carry a winch or extraction gear.
Are there huts in Te Papanui?
No. DOC says there are no DOC huts in the park, and the only huts in the area are derelict.
Can I take my dog?
Dogs are allowed, but they must be on a lead at all times while crossing the council water reserve on the Eldorado Track.
Can I drink the stream water?
DOC advises against it because giardia is present. Bring your own water.
Why does the park matter to Dunedin?
It protects 60 percent of Dunedin’s water catchment, and pipelines from Deep Creek and Deep Stream deliver up to 65 percent of the city’s water.
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