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Key facts
- Distance
- 15 km one way
- Walking time
- 5-6 hours (Mt Buster Road to Tailings Hut)
- Track grade
- Advanced
- Location
- Oteake Conservation Park
- Seasonal restrictions
- 4WD tracks are rough, exposed and covered in snow in winter – make sure you have experience in tough conditions. They may be impassable at any time of year.
- Dog access
- Dogs allowed. Keep dog under control at all times. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Checked against official sources on 8 October 2026. Rules and conditions are set by Department of Conservation — confirm with them before you go.
Route overview
This is a steep climb on a well-formed track through open tussock to the Buster Diggings. There are, however, rough, steep areas past the Buster Diggings.
This DOC directory entry covers Mount Buster 4WD Track in Otago, within Oteake Conservation Park. Where DOC groups several walks, times and grades refer to the listed options rather than a single continuous itinerary.
Distance, time and grade
- Distance: 15 km one way
- Walking time: 5-6 hours (Mt Buster Road to Tailings Hut)
- DOC grade: Advanced
Access and alerts
Source checked 2026-10-08. This page is a dated snapshot, not a live track-status report. Check current DOC route information immediately before travelling. An absence of listed alerts does not establish that a route is open.
Possum control work in Oteake Conservation Park; First published on 6 June 2025. Last reviewed on 29 June 2026.
Access roads to Mount Buster 4WD Track closed; First published on 2 June 2026.
Seasonal restrictions
4WD tracks are rough, exposed and covered in snow in winter – make sure you have experience in tough conditions. They may be impassable at any time of year.
Dog access
Dogs allowed. Keep dog under control at all times. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Description
The track starts at the Oteake Conservation Park entrance on Mount Buster Road. It crosses the Little Kye Burn (660 m) on a well-formed track through open tussock and climbs steeply to the Buster Diggings (1,200 m). It is 6 km to the Buster Diggings.
The track then descends steeply into Guffies Creek passing the turnoff to Brown Hut.
To reach Brown Hut, turn right onto Brown Hut Road which climbs for 2.5 km before reaching Brown Hut (1,100 m). To reach Tailings Hut, stay on the Mount Buster Road and continue for 4 km. There are many river crossings.
Getting there
There are several access routes on both the Otago and Canterbury sides of the park, the main ones being Hawkdun Runs Road, Home Hills Runs Road and Mount Buster Road in the Maniototo, and Broken Hut Road from the Waitaki Valley.
The vehicle bridge on Hawkdun Runs Road is currently closed and cannot be used. The vehicle ford is recommended for experienced 4WD users only.
Much of the public access into the park is along easements crossing private land. Please respect this by driving carefully, keeping to tracks and roads, and leaving gates as you find them.
4WD access is limited to the formed tracks described on this website.
Know before you go
Know your limits and be ready for weather damage
The 4WD roads in the conservation park are often damaged by weather events and repairs are ongoing. Be prepared to turn around if conditions are unsuitable for your vehicle or too challenging for your off-road driving skills.
Do not go off the track or attempt routes you are unsure about. It may be very difficult to reverse or pass other traffic. Experience in rough conditions on steep terrain is essential. You should be self-reliant and have recovery equipment appropriate for the conditions and terrain.
Care for this fragile environment
Stay on the formed marked roads and do not widen them.
Travel in groups. If winching is necessary, use another vehicle rather than a landscape feature to avoid damaging the landscape.
Follow the 4WD care code. This helps the long-term sustainability of the activity and the environment.
Four wheel drive guidelines
Shared use tracks
Many of the tracks in Oteake Conservation Park are shared use. You may encounter walkers, mountain bikers and people riding horses, as well as people on quad bikes, trail bikes or in 4WDs. Take care and respect other track users.
Be careful of rivers
If you plan to cross unbridged rivers, know how to cross safely and be prepared for if you cannot cross. Check fords before entry.
Do not cross if the river is flooded, you cannot find safe entry and exit points or are unsure it’s safe. Turn back or wait for the river to drop. If in doubt, stay out.
Be aware of weather conditions in the catchment headwaters.
How to cross rivers safely (for people on foot)
No fires
Fires are not allowed anywhere in Oteake Conservation Park.
Check the weather forecast
NIWA Weather: Ida Railway Hut
Avalanches
Oteake Conservation Park has avalanche terrain.
Be avalanche alert in Wakatipu, Wānaka and Central Otago
Sources and reuse
Route descriptions and practical information reproduced from the Department of Conservation, Crown copyright, under CC BY 4.0, subject to DOC's copyright policy. Formatting has been adapted, including flattening page sections; follow the original DOC page for maps, section-specific layout, current notices and linked documents. Outdoor Next is independent and is not endorsed by DOC.
The accompanying photograph is a licensed general hiking illustration, not a photograph of this route.
