Hakatere Conservation Park

Hakatere Conservation Park is a protected area in the Ashburton District between the Rakaia and Rangitata Rivers, spanning 60,000 hectares of mountains, tussocklands, beech forests, and lakes. The terrain includes varied landscapes that shift from river gorges to high country basins and native woodland.

The park bears traces of early pastoral farming through structures like the Lake Emma hut and buildings at Hakatere Station. These historic remnants reveal how the land was once used for livestock grazing before it became a protected area.

The area holds deep meaning for Ngai Tahu people, who traveled seasonal routes to gather eels, birds, and native plants from the land. Visitors can still sense this connection in how the landscape has been shaped by generations of use.

Several entry routes provide access to the park: Ashburton Gorge Road, Hakatere Potts Road, Hakatere Heron Road, and Blackford Road. Plan enough time for your visit and bring appropriate gear suited to seasonal weather and terrain conditions.

The park protects New Zealand's largest complex of kettlehole wetlands, rare marshy depressions with specialized plant life. These habitats shelter uncommon species including the pygmy forget-me-not found nowhere else in such abundance.