Outdoor Equipment: Merida Big Nine 20 MTB

 My current mountain bike...Merida Big Nine 20

Some of the trail sections along the Christchurch 360 are best covered on a bike rather than on foot. In particular the tracks from Brooklands Lagoon along the banks of the Waimakariri River would take an enormous amount of time and effort to walk. The same distance can easily be covered on a MTB in a mater of hours.... 

End of the Brooklands section of the 360 Trail

I have only one section of the 360 Trail left to cover between Taylors Mistake and Scarborough. However it is my intention to eventually cover all of the sections of the Christchurch 360 Trail again as I took no films or photos the last time I covered this ground. 

Getting back on a bike after 20 years...

Back in the late 1980's and early 1990's (before I got married) I was an avid MTB rider. I liked downhill riding, forest and flat trail riding and used to cover between 60-120 kilometers every week on my bike. As with most people jobs, houses, family and lack of time meant I hardly got out anymore and I did very little cycling through most of the 2000's. 

I did a lot of riding on the Port Hills in the 1990's

After the Covid lockdowns back in 2020 and 2021 I decided to buy myself a new mountain bike. My previous bike although good in its time was nearly 30 years old and not fit for purpose anymore. I was very envious of all the people cycling around so decided to invest some money in getting back on two wheels.

Riding up Kennedys Bush Track in the early 2000's

 My new MTB is a Merida Big Nine 20.......

The Merida Big Nine 20:

I had a good look around and decided to buy a Merida bike as it best fit my requirements without a heinous price tag attached to it. The model I choose was the Big Nine 20. It is good for road and off trail riding, has decent downhill brakes, a front suspension unit (and hard tail) and quality components. 

Here is some technical information about this Mountain Bike;

Technical specifications of the Merida Nine 20

It is interesting how far cycle technology has advanced since the 1990's. Back then things like disc brakes, aluminum frames and suspension units were in their infancy and very, very expensive. You had to fit them as aftermarket parts and they were hard to get here in New Zealand. A bike with the same specifications as this back in the 1990s would have cost $3000-$5000 dollars. 

Disc brakes as fitted to my Merida bike

Another feature of this bike is the 29" wheels...back in the 1990's only outlandish folk used wheels of this size but now it is commonplace. They take a bit more effort to get rolling but once you do they seem quicker and easier to pedal. 

The Merida Nine 20 in action:

I have used the bike to cover a couple of track sections so far and I have plans to use it on some of the cycle trails which have now appeared around the country. I used to be a mad keen cyclist and would like to get back into the pursuit if not with the same intensity I had for MTB riding in the 1990's. 

360 Trail logo at Canterbury Park

Here are some shots of the new bike in action...ha...there are no shots yet but I'll ad some soon!!!

Tramping Food: Nongshim Udon Soup

 ...prepacked Udon for tramping meals...

Here is another potential meal idea for when you are out on a outdoor adventure. These are the Nongshim brand prepackaged Udon Noodle Soup meals. 

Nongshim Udon Noodle Soup

There are a multitude of pre packaged meal options available in Asian food stores and this is a good example. It contains everything you need to make a decent noodle meal with the simple addition of boiling hot water. 

A look at the Udon pack:

The Nongshim Udon soup is a self contained meal wrapped into one package. Inside the package you will find :

Udon noodle pack

Liquid soup mix

Dried flakes pack

A plastic serving dish

Udon noodles are pre-cooked so they just need a short boil (2 minutes is sufficient) or a longer soak (5-10 depending on brand) in boiling water to be ready to eat.  Adding the soup mix and dried ingredients package brings the flavor. 

Front of the Nongshim Udon Soup packet

Nongshim sounds Japanese but it is actually a Korean company and this pack is produced in Korea. Korean people eat a number of dishes that are similar to Japanese food due to their interactions over centuries past. They make some good food including snacks, Ramen, Udon and packaged all in one meals. 

Nongshim include a liquid soup mix and dried flavor pack

Most people know what Udon are but if you are new to them they are thick wheat noodles about the size of a pencil around. They are soft and often come as part of a thin soup (like a consume) with vegetables added to it for flavor. Common vegetables used are onions, mushrooms, carrot and radish.

...best cooked and eaten from the pot...

These Udon packs are perfect as they are but if you wanted to make them a bit tastier and more nutritious you can add items to them. Off the top of my head I would think about adding cooked meat or fish, cheese, fresh and dried vegetables and condiments like garlic, ginger, soya sauce, vinegar, pepper and chilli sauce. A small packet/spoon of Miso paste will also make for tastier noodles. 

Udon Soup pack and cooked soup

I always added a small measure of Soya Sauce when I am eating these Udon and a small shake of S&B brand chilli powder. One of those small soya sauce fish you get with a sushi meal is enough for a single bowl of Udon. Add soya to taste but just remember soya sauce is very salty so I would taste it as I went. 

...a small fish of soya sauce is a good additive...

Anyone who is a fan of Ramen or Udon will know what S&B powder is...it is an essential addition to both these noodle dishes. S&B is a Japanese brand of powder specially manufactured for soups. It has a mix of ground chilli, garlic, seaweed and other herbs and spices meant to improve the flavor of your soup. A good Ramen shop will have S&B powder readily to hand for their customers. 

S&B brand chilli powder for noodle dishes

You can buy your own S&B at most Asian food stores have a look in the section for Japanese food or the sauces section. I brought mine from the Japan Mart in Riccarton Mall. Decant it into a small bag as the bottles are glass and quite heavy. 

Dont add too much as it is a bit spicy...just a pinch on top is good!

...just a dash of S&B enhances the flavor...

Nongshim include a plastic tray for mixing your Udon in but I would tend to leave this at home. It is just extra rubbish to haul around for the rest of your tramp.  I just put all the packets into a sandwich sized Ziploc bag and cook it in my cook pot. Udon is much better eaten from a bowl or pot. 

Try the Nongshim Udon Soup out for yourself!

You are going to need either a fork or chopsticks to eat the noodles. 

Where can I find these?

You can find these noodles at good Asia supermarkets and shops selling Asian and Japanese food items. I brought some from the Japan Mart at Hornby Mall but I have also seen them at Kosco Shirley, Ken's Mart on Colombo Street and at V-Mart in the Bush Inn Centre. 

Kosco Asian Supermarket in Shirley, Christchurch 

I love noodles and this pack is a pretty good riff on a bowl of Udon. With a few ingredients added they make an excellent lunch or dinner meal and they are tasty and filling. Keep an eye out for them the next time you are in a good Asian Supermarket. 

You Tube: Nongshim Udon Soup

Great Walk plans for 2023/2024

 Great Walk adventures for the new season

 It is that time of the year when my mind turns to thoughts of the Great Walks and what kind of adventures I would like to have on them. 

Crossing the Falls River back in August 2022

I didn't get out on any new Great Walks over the last season but I have plans for two adventures on the tracks over the coming spring and summer months of 2023/2024.

Abel Tasman Coastal Track:

As is my custom I am in the process of planning an adventure on the Abel Tasman Coastal Track. I go up to Abel Tasman NP every year and go for some kind of walk along the track. It is a fantastic place to visit with the Coastal Track, Inland Track, Canaan Downs and a number of tracks on the Takaka/Wainui side of the park. 

Golden sandy beaches at Anchorage

I am planning a trip for late August 2023...this year I am possibly looking at walking from Bark Bay out to Marahau. Bark Bay is my favorite hut in the park and I like that section of the coast. Alternately I might redo the walk from Wainui to Totaranui that I last covered back in 2021.Both are awesome options with some of the best scenery on the track.  

Wainui Bay from the Abel Tasman Coastal Track

I have yet to decide which I will undertake...it depends a lot on transport to the track, weather and hut availability. I'm in the planning phase at the moment and will soon have bookings and a solid plan for my visit. I may chuck on a cheeky side trip to Wainui Falls while I'm there but I will have to see how things pan out. 

Milford Track:

Karen and I are booked to walk the Milford Track in Fiordland NP over the last week of December 2023. this will be my second time on the track and Karen's first visit. 

Surprise...we will be going the guided route!

We get to stay at historic Glade House, Fiordland NP

Some spare money became available and as Karen is keen to walk the Milford Track we decided to use it for the slightly easier guided tour option. We will be staying in the Ultimate Hikes lodges, will have meals prepared for us each morning and evening and only need carry small packs with our clothing inside. 

Altogether a more civilized way to tramp!

DOC sign along the Milford Track

It is incredibly expense way to walk the track but we both see it as a once in a lifetime opportunity so we just decided to go with it. We have completed all the planning and bookings and I will be writing a post about going on a guided walk in due course. 

Marlees Stream on the Milford Track

I was very envious of the guided walkers I encountered back in 2019 when I last walked the Milford Track and have long wanted to return to bag the new Mintaro Hut (...it should be hut number 333 for Jon...). 

I am itching to get down there and revisit one of the iconic New Zealand tracks. 

The new Mintaro V Hut  just opened in late 2022

Hopefully everything goes to plan and late December will see us enjoying Grilled Salmon and a medley of seasonal vegetables with a nice glass of wine at Pompoloma Hut.

No other plans for the Great Walk tracks at this stage but I have schemes up my sleeve...

The great dehy crisis of '23...

 Where have all the Backcountry meals gone?

If you are out tramping, biking, kayaking or doing some other outdoor pursuit you are probably eating Backcountry Cuisine dehydrated meals at least some of the time. You might have noticed that they seem to be a bit scarce in your local outdoor retail stores...there is a reason for this.

Classic Backcountry Cuisine meal...Cooked Breakfast

Back in November 2022 one of the large machines Backcountry Cuisine use to dehydrate ingredients went out of service. This has seriously slowed production rates. As a result there has been a shortage of backcountry meals in most of the local stores. I recently visited the Hunting and Fishing store at Tower Junction here in Christchurch and they had NO Backcountry meals at all. Like zero...not even the Vegan meals most people never buy. 

Dehydrator at Backcountry Cuisine in Invercargill

Hopefully the shortages do not last for too long because love them or hate them Backcountry Cuisine is the number one freeze dried meal brand here. Losing them from the market would be a huge problem for anyone who uses freeze dried meals. You might have to do what the old timers did and eat real foods like sausages, steak and bacon with mashed spud, rice or cous cous.

 My God how primitive!!! 

Is this your future without Backcountry meals?

Real Meals, Radix and boutique food companies are making inroads into the freeze dry meal market but they have neither the range of meals nor the production ability to totally replace Backcountry Cuisine. As yet we cannot get any of the big international brands like Mountain House here. 

Real Meals...not as large as Backcountry cuisine

If you live in Christchurch and need to buy some Backcountry meals you should go have a look at the  Hunting & Fishing store in Rangiora. I was there in the weekend and they had ample supplies of both the small and regular sized meals. They also have plenty of the bags of mixed vegetables, dried meat and mashed potato. 

Small sized BBC meals at Rangiora Hunting & Fishing

 Either they had a stash of meals or they just don't get the volume of traffic that the Christchurch store receives. BTW: the Rangiora Hunting & Fishing has a great range of items in store...it is just about as big as the flagship Tower Junction store. 

They also sell Real Meals, O-Meals and Outdoor gourmet meals

Anyway...hopefully Backcountry Cuisine will soon rectify the problem and be back up to full time production once again. 

The huts of the St James Walkway

A look at the huts along the St James Walkway

 I recently finished walking the St James Walkway and I thought it would be worth looking at the fantastic array of huts you will find along the track. There are seven huts and one shelter along the Walkway and they provide overnight accommodation and sheltered spots for the folk who are tramping here.

Here I am on Anne Saddle on the St James Walkway

The St James Walkway is a 67 kilometer long track taking in several river valleys and crossing the border of the Lewis Pass National Reserve, St James Conservation Area and Lake Sumner Forest Park. 

I walked the St James Walkway from Lewis Pass Tarn to Boyle Village so let's follow the huts in that direction and find out a bit more about each of them..

About the St James Walkway:

In the early 1970's the Walkways Commission and the Department of Internal Affairs were trying to encourage more people into the outdoors. One way was through the construction of easier Walkways which was an early attempt at Great Walks. The St James Walkway was the only one to actually be completed before their interest waned. 

Start of the St James Walkway at Lewis Pass

Walkways Commission marker on Cannibal Gorge Swingbridge

The St James Walkway is a rough half circuit so you can start from either end and end up back on SH 7. The two ends of the track are separated by 20 kilometers of SH 7 so it is not possible to walk all the way back to your car. 

You will need to either hitch a ride back to your start point or use the 'own car' shuttle service offered by the Boyle Outdoor Education Center. For a small fee they will drive you to Lewis Pass Tarn (in your own car) and then take your car back for secure storage at the center. It is worth doing it this way as Lewis Pass Carpark is notorious for vandalism of cars. 

Turn off to the St James Walkway at the Lewis Pass Carpark

Most people tramp the St James Walkway from Lewis Pass Tarn to Boyle Settlement to take advantage of the terrain. This was the direction I walked the track.

Lewis Pass Tarn to Ada Pass Hut: Day 1

The first day on the St James Walkway is the walk from the Lewis Pass carpark to Cannibal Gorge or Ada Pass Hut. I walked through to Ada Pass Hut so it was 10 km's over 5-6 hours...

Lewis Pass Shelter:

Lewis Pass Shelter is the first structure on the Walkway built as shelter for people tramping the track. It is located next to the tarn at the Lewis Pass Carpark just east of the pass itself. From this carpark there is access to a variety of walks and tracks including the Lewis Pass Nature Walk, Lewis Pass Tarn Walk, Lewis Pass Tops Track and the St James Walkway. 

Spencer Range is visible from the Lewis Pass carpark

The shelter is a three sided affair with seating and information panels inside. There is enough space here for about 10 people at any given time. It is mostly water proof and makes an ideal spot to wait if you have transport coming to collect you from this end of the track. 

Lewis Pass Shelter, Lewis Pass National Reserve

View of the rear of Lewis Pass Shelter

There is a small water tank attached to the highway side of the shelter and a vault style toilet to the rear. The shelter is surrounded by Beech forest and it is just possible to see both the carpark and the tarn from inside the structure. 

There is a water tank on the side of the Lewis Pass Shelter

Classic DOC backcountry vault toilet at Lewis Pass Tarn

Make sure you go have a look at the Lewis Pass Tarn before you leave. It is a really lovely alpine lake with fantastic opportunities for photography. It is less than a two minute walk to the lookout over the tarn from the shelter. On a calm, still day you get a great mirror image of the nearby mountains

View over Lewis Pass Tarn from near the shelter

From here you start the track proper as you make your way along the St James Walkway to the first hut of the day Cannibal Gorge Hut. 

Specifications:

Day Shelter: (Not for overnight stay) water from tank, vault toilet, internal seating

Cannibal Gorge Hut:

Cannibal Gorge Hut is the first hut along the track and it is sits on the edge of a large river flat about four hours along the track. If you are starting the track later in the day this is the place you should be aiming for as it is within striking distance of Lewis Pass. 

View of Cannibal Gorge Hut from across the river flats

Cannibal Gorge Hut was built in the late 1970's so it is starting to look its age. If the St James ever becomes a Great Walk (as has been suggested) then I would expect all the huts to be replaced or seriously upgrade. For the moment...you gets what you gets!!! 

Cannibal Gorge Hut, Lewis Pass National Reserve

The hut has 20 bunks in an unusual three tier bunkroom set up...there are three platforms for the mattresses to sit on so your head space is lower than usual. There is one bunkroom with 9 spaces and another with 11. I have never seen this set up before but I know there are a couple of other huts across the country organised this way. 

Unusual three tier bunks in Cannibal Gorge Hut

There is plenty of living space in the hut and over the summer there will often be a hut warden in residence in a separate bunkroom attached to the hut. There is a good wood burner here and if there is firewood it will quickly heat up the hut and bunkrooms. 

Cannibal Gorge Hut: cooking and dining area

I stopped at Cannibal Gorge Hut just long enough to eat some lunch before continuing along the Walkway to my destination for the night...Ada Pass Hut. 

Specifications:

Serviced Hut: 20 bunks, water from tanks, wood burner, vault toilets, picnic table

Ada Pass Hut:

Ada Pass Hut is the second along the route of the St James Walkway and it is roughly 5-6 hours from the start of the track up at Lewis Pass. This will be the destination for the majority of trampers starting at this end of the Walkway so bring a tent just in case it is full. 

Ada Pass Hut, St James Conservation Area

The hut is of the 'one big room' type so the bunkroom is separated from the living area by a half wall. These are much easier to heat but it does mean you can sometimes be a bit too hot overnight. I've been to Ada Pass Hut three times now and I really like it...it is not a flash hut but it does the job you need it to do. 

Nice veranda at the front of Ada Pass Hut

There is a stunning view up towards Three Tarn Pass from the hut veranda...this is an entry point to the Matakitaki Valley as well as Nelson Lakes NP. It is awesome to sit outside and look at the mountains that frame your line of sight. 

View to Three Tarn Pass from Ada Pass Hut

Ada Pass Hut was built in the late 1970's so it is looking a bit tired but it is still a perfectly usable hut with plenty of space for its allotted 14 occupants. If the St James ever becomes a Great Walk this hut will need to be enlarged or replaced to cope with larger numbers. 

Ada Pass Hut: living space inside

There is plenty of space in front of the hut for tents and of the various huts on this track Ada Pass Hut is usually the one where you might need to camp. It gets traffic from three directions so it can often be full during the holidays and over long weekends.

...lots of flat space in front of Ada Pass Hut...

Cooking some kai at Ada Pass Hut, St James Walkway

I certainly appreciated Ada Pass Hut later that day when it started raining...it would have been a wet old night if you had been camping here and not in a hut. 

Specifications:

Serviced Hut: 14 bunks, water from tank, wood burner, long-drop toilet, coal supplied

Ada Pass Hut to Christopher Hut: Day 2

Day two covers the St James Walkway from Ada Pass to Christopher Hut. It is roughly 11 kilometers over 4-5 hours. Some people continue on to Anne Hut which is another 13 kilometers over 4-5 hours making for a long 25 kilometer 8+ hour day. This is what I did back in 2015 when I last walked the track...it was a bloody long way!

Ada Cullers Hut:

The first hut you will pass enroute for Christopher Hut is the historic Ada Cullers Hut. This is an old deer cullers hut built in the late 1950's and at one time it would have been home to a pair of hunters shooting deer in the Ada and Christopher Valleys. 

Approaching Ada Cullers Hut, St James Conservation Area

The hut is right on the confluence of the Ada and Christopher Rivers and is set in a patch of Matagouri trees just back down the Ada River. Originally a small 2 bunker (with canvas bunks) it has been refurbished recently with a coat of paint, a small shelf/bench and four standard DOC bunks with mattresses. 

Exterior of Ada Cullers Hut in 2015

It is incredibly spartan inside with no heating, seating or water tank but there are mattresses so you could actually use it. Water is from the nearby river and would need to be boiled and or treated due to large numbers of Geese in the area. 

It would be a great day or over night base for hunters working the local area. There was no-one using the hut this time around but I could see how it might appeal to a lot of folk. I would think about staying here in the warmer months. 

Ada Culler Hut: spartan interior of the hut

Ada Cullers Hut: the door end of the hut

It is great that these old facilities still exist as they are a link to the outdoor history of New Zealand and can still provide perfectly acceptable shelter to hardy adventurers. 

Specifications:

Basic Hut: 4 bunks, water from stream, long-drop toilet

Christopher Hut: (2 nights)

It was cold and pouring with rain the whole way from Ada Pass Hut to Christopher Hut so there was no way I was adding another 4-5 hours onto my journey to walk to Anne Hut. I stayed at Christopher Hut for two nights as it was windy, wet and snowing the next day. 

Christopher Hut, St James Conservation Area

Christopher Hut was a great place to spend a couple of nights as there were only four of us in the hut and we had plenty of firewood to keep us warm. I was always planning to stay here...back in 2015 I walked all the way around to Anne Hut in one day and it just about broke me. I would suggest to anyone walking this track to stay a night at Christopher Hut and not to walk all the way to Anne Hut. . 

Christopher Hut: the cooking bench

The hut has had a spruce up inside and out thanks to the Jobs for Nature program and it has given it a nice new lease of life. They have also opened up the old warden's quarters here so there is a small three bunk side room with its own fire, bunks and cooking bench. 

Christopher Hut: the platform bunks

Interior of Christopher Hut on my recent visit

The weather on the third day of my tramp was atrocious so I just stayed put. It was snowing, wet and windy and -10 degrees outside so it was just too dangerous to contemplate walking to Anne Hut. Real hyperthermia weather...

I spent the day reading, drinking tea and chopping firewood as did the three hunters. We had a good discussion about the Army as all four of us had served at one time or another.

Rain and snow flurries in the Ada River Valley

...at least the rainwater tank got filled...

Because I stayed a second night I was overdue from my tramp and Karen did the right thing and called SAR and the Police. Luckily I walked off the track before they started looking for me but under the circumstances it was the safest course of action. 

...Christopher Hut really was a shelter from a storm...

I had a decent time at Christopher Hut as the hunters staying in the hut with me were friendly but I was ready to move onto Anne Hut the next day. 

Specifications:

Serviced Hut: 16 bunks, water from tank, wood burner, wood shed, vault toilet, picnic table. Small side room with 3 bunks and own wood burner. 

Christopher Hut to Anne Hut: Day 4

On the fourth day of my trip I walked from Christopher Hut around Mt Federation and up the Henry Valley to Anne Hut.  It is roughly 12 kilometers and takes about 4-5 hours. 

Anne Hut:

Anne Hut is the newest hut on the on the St James Walkway and is a replacement for an older hut which burnt down in the early 2010's. The hut sits out in the middle of a wide open grassy plateau and is in a much better position than the old site down by the river in the shade of big hills. 

Anne Hut: St James Conservation Area

The hut was completed in 2012 so it is typical of the new breed of DOC huts with good insulation, double glazing, a veranda and plenty of internal space. Some people don't like these big new huts but they are clean, tidy (for the most part) and comfortable so I don't see what they are complaining about. 

Anne Hut: the dining area in the hut

I had a complete bunkroom to myself as the hunters were all in the other and the English chap slept out next to the fire. Just as well as I am told I sometimes snore. I wouldn't know because I'm usually asleep...

Anne Hut: one of the two bunkrooms

Anne Hut is directly on the path of the Te Araora Trail so it is often full of TA trekkers over the summer months. From here the TA walkers are either heading to Waiau Pass or along the rest of the St James Walkway to Boyle Village. It was coming to the end of the TA season when I visited so it was only myself, an English tramper and six hunters staying. 

Cooking bench inside Christopher Hut

There are three tables inside Christopher Hut

The veranda runs along the north side of the hut and makes for a nice sunny position to sit outside on a fine day. Last time I was here in 2015 I sat outside for nearly two hours getting some rays. It is a great place for drying your gear but do weigh your stuff down with rocks as it is sometimes windy here. 

View to the Libretto Range from Anne Hut

Anne Hut is lovely and is the real jewel on this circuit...this is the type and style of hut DOC would build if this track ever gets upgraded to Great Walk status. 

Hut warden's quarters attached to Christopher Hut

This was the second to last day of my tramp and in the morning I was walking the 18 kilometers to Boyle Flat Hut up the Anne River to a saddle and then down the Boyle River Valley to the hut.

Specifications:

Serviced Hut: 24 bunks, water from tanks, wood burner, vault toilets, picnic table

Anne Hut to Boyle Flat Hut: Day 5

This section was covered on the fifth day of my tramp and it is by far the longest section of the St James Walkway. It takes most people 6-8 hours to walk even though the terrain is very gentle...its just a long way. 

Rokeby Hut:

Rokeby Hut is a small hut about half way down the Boyle Valley when walking from Anne Saddle to Boyle Flat Hut. It is sign posted from the track but is actually fairly well camouflaged in a patch of Beech trees next to Rokeby Stream.

DOC sign to Rokeby hut from the St James Walkway

Rokeby Hut is tucked into the Beech forest

The hut has been recently painted but it still has the original canvas bunks which are short and quite uncomfortable. It does have a nice wood burner so you can at least heat this hut up. This is the same type of woodburner in the warden's quarters at Christopher Hut and has a small oven on the right hand side. 

Bit of damper bread anyone...?

Interior of Rokeby Hut on the St James Walkway

Rokeby Hut gets a bit of use from the TA trekkers but the far more comfortable Boyle Flat Hut is only 1.5 hours down the valley so that is where most people stay. Still perfectly usable as a hut provided you are less than 5'10" and don't mind a sore back in the morning. 

Rear of Rokeby Hut, St James Conservation Area

This hut was built the same time as Ada Cullers Hut and Anne Cullers Hut in the heyday of the deer culling era in the late 1950's. Another spartan hut but the fact is is still here and able to be used speaks to the soundness of this design. 

Front view of Rokeby Hut on the St James Walkway

...canvas bunks inside Rokeby Hut....

Make sure you go have a look if you ever happen to be passing by this point...stay if you like the rustic type huts.

Specifications:

Basic Hut/Bivy: 2 bunks,  water from stream, open fireplace, long-drop toilet

Boyle Flat Hut :

Boyle Flats Hut is the last on the main route of the St James Walkway and will be the last nights accommodation for the majority of people walking the track. It is located in the mid reaches of the Boyle River Valley about 4 hours from the end of the walkway. 

Boyle Flat Hut, St James Conservation Area

This hut was purpose built (like Christopher/Ada Pass/Cannibal Gorge) for the St James Walkway. They used a variety of hut designs to make the Walkway more interesting and this hut has a number of special features. 

Boyle Flat Hut: view of the interior

My pit set up in Boyle Flat Hut

One of the cool features of this hut is the padded bench seat along the window. I wish they would do this in more backcountry huts because those wooden benches are murderous on your rear. There is a very nice view out to the river flats opposite the hut from that bench. 

Awesome padded bench seat at Boyle Flat Hut

More interior detail of Boyle Flat Hut

Another unique feature of Boyle Flat Hut is the large carved map of the St James Walkway on one of the walls. It has excellent detail of the various catchments which make up the track and gives you some perspective on your trek. 

Map of St James Walkway in Boyle Flat Hut

This hut is either a Lockwood or Fraemoh's design but it is difficult to decide which company made it. Both companies made kitset wooden houses that could be largely built by people with a modicum of skill. You basically slotted them together on the site which made them ideal as backcountry huts. They are my favorite type of hut and I just love the deep honey color of the wood with its multitude layers of varnish. 

The second bunkroom at Boyle Flat Hut...love that wood!!!

Last view of Boyle Flat Hut as I was leaving

As I said previously Boyle Flat Hut is the last hut directly on the route of the St James Walkway. There is one other hut just off the Walkway which I will discuss. This is Magdalen Hut. 

Specifications:

Serviced Hut: 16 bunks, water from tanks, wood burner, long drop toilets, picnic tables

Boyle Flat Hut to Boyle Village: Day 6: Final Day: 

Magdalen Hut:

I have been to Magdalen Hut a number of times and it is one of my most visited huts anywhere in New Zealand. It is not directly on the route of the St James Walkway but many trampers either visit the hut or stay there as an alternate to Boyle Flat Hut. 

Magdalen Hut, Lake Sumner Forest Park

From the mid Boyle River swing bridge it takes about 30 odd minutes to walk down to Magdalen Hut. It is clearly marked at the bridge and the track sidles the side of the hills as it makes its way down the Boyle River to the Hut. 

On the side track to Magdalen Hut

Magdalen Hut is also quite new being constructed in the early 2010's after the old hut became unserviceable. It is a great wee 6 bunker and the pattern used here has been replicated in a number of places right across the Motu. 

The interior of Magdalen Hut on a nice sunny day

Wood burner and table inside Magdalen Hut

I last stayed here back in 2021 but I am planning a return trip as part of my Winter 2023 series of tramps. I'm hoping to get up to the hut before the first big snow dump of the year possibly later this month. Of the six times I have stayed here in the last decade I have had the hut to myself on four occasions. 

Relaxing inside Magdalen Hut back in 2019

FYI: in winter and the shoulder seasons it can get bloody cold here so make sure you have a good sleeping bag in case the firewood shed is empty. Also draw water from the tank before dark as it often freezes on a frosty night and you will find yourself without cooking/drinking water. 

A frosty morning at Magdalen Hut, Lake Sumner Forest Park

The best time to visit Magdalen Hut is outside of summer as it gets busy as hell due to Te Araroa Trail walkers in the warmer months. I would come mid week to try to get the hut to yourself and if it is full it is just over an hour to walk to the larger Boyle Flat Hut. 

Specifications:

Serviced Hut: 6 bunks, water from tanks, wood burner, flush toilets, wood shed

So there you go all the huts and shelters you are likely to encounter along the St James Walkway. There are some real beauties on this track and DOC has provided a variety of huts and shelters for you to stay at while you are walking.