Nomenclature of huts in New Zealand

 Know the descriptive language of backcountry huts...

Serviced, standard, bivy or lodge...backcountry huts in New Zealand have a language of their own. It can sometimes be confusing to the new hut user or international visitor to decipher what people are talking about when it comes to huts. 

Hut, bivouac or shelter...which is it?

I thought we could have a look at the nomenclature (the name or designation) used to describe our backcountry retreats in this country. 

The different type of huts:

There are several different types of huts in the New Zealand backcountry most of which correspond to the terminology used by the department of conservation. Both DOC, outdoor user groups, government departments and individuals have taken to using the official designation when talking about a hut. These generally relate to the use the building is intended for, its size, level of amenity and ownership. 

Lets have a look a these designations...

Lodges:

These are the crème of the crop of backcountry structures and are usually intended for well heeled patrons willing to pay a higher price for a greater level of comfort. They will have the most comfortable features and might even include things like a la carte meals, showers, beds with linen and alcohol service. 

Glade House, Milford Track, Fiordland

You will tend to find lodges on very popular tracks as they need mass tourism to make economic sense. I have seen them on the Milford, Greenstone, Routeburn and Abel Tasman Tracks although I have never sampled their wares myself. They are also common near park entrances (Aoraki/Mt Cook Village, National Park/Arthurs Pass) and at ski fields. 

Quinton Lodge (40 bunks) Milford Track, Fiordland

The term 'Lodge' can be used in derision by some outdoor folk commenting on the overbuilt nature of some of the newer DOC huts like Pinnacles (80+ bunks!!!!)  in the Coromandel Peninsula. Personally I don't see why you need to 'rough it' all the time to be considered a real tramper...

Huts: Backcountry staple...

Your basic backcountry hut will generally be a 3-60+ person building intended for over night stays. It will usually have sleeping facilities and a living/cooking area and a veranda depending on size and age. There may be additional amenities like mud rooms, gas heaters, wood burners, water tanks, gas cookers etc. and most will have a handy river or rain tanks for water.  

12 bunk Speargrass Hut in Nelson Lakes NP

There are over 1200 public and private huts scattered around New Zealand and there would not be a district in the whole country that does not have a few. 

Woolshed Creek hut (24 bunks)...Hakatere Conservation area

There are more huts in the South Island than the North Island and the regions with the most huts are the Kawekas, Tararua Forest Park and right down the West Coast of the South Island. These huts were mostly built for government deer stalkers which is why so many are in these places as they all had high deer numbers. 

Bivouacs:

Bivouacs, biv's, bivvy's...different names for the same type of structure. They tend to be mini huts...smaller and with sometimes with less facilities. They range in size from tiny two person "dog box" structures up to small huts that hold 3-4 people. 

Hallelujah Bivouac...classic deer cullers shelter

They are generally located in more remote locations and are usually a hold over from the days when they were used by government deer stalkers (1940-1987). That said they are growing in numbers as they are cheaper and easier to build in our modern world of out of control building costs. 

Caroline Creek Bivouac (2 bunks) on the Waiau Pass Track

There are some damn fancy bivouacs out there like East Hawdon shown below and there are some real horrors but what all of them provide is basic shelter from the elements. 

East Hawdon Bivouac, Arthurs Pass NP...fancy digs!!!

If you are wet, cold and exhausted that is all you need...a roof over your head, a bed to sleep in and if you are lucky a fire to warm yourself with. 

Shelters:

There are many kinds of backcountry shelter mainly intended for day use or as a place of refuge on long and difficult tracks. I have visited almost as many shelters as huts over the years and you tend to find them at the start/finish of a track, on long track sections, campsites, ski fields, walking tracks and after long or difficult climbs/descents.

Andrews Shelter, Mt White Road, Arthurs Pass NP

The amenities in a shelter vary with its intended use so as basic as an open sided bare space with a dirt floor to fully enclosed structures with seating, benches, tables, cooking facilities, water and even fireboxes.

Maori Beach Shelter, Rakuira

 DOC have started building cooking shelters on a number of tracks with benches, tables and water for those who prefer a night under nylon. These make preparing food, eating and socialising with fellow trampers so much easier. 

Brod Bay Shelter, Kepler Track

There is no finer sight on a cold, wet day than a shelter to sit and eat your lunch in...wet lunch breaks are the bane of all trampers.

DOC hut descriptions:

The Department of Conservation have their own hut grading system as a means to describe the amenities each building contains. They also use the designations as a price point when deciding how much to charge for an overnight stay in that hut. These gradings are: Great Walk/Serviced/Standard/Basic

Great Walk:

Great Walk Huts have better amenities than other huts and are specific to the 10 Great Walks of New Zealand. They will have a bookable bunk for each visitor, tank water, heating with fuel provided, gas cookers, and a hut warden during the summer months. 

Moonlight Tops Hut, Paparoa Great Walk Track, Paparoa NP

Some Great Walk huts deserve the moniker but to be frank some of them are bloody awful...generally the older more remote huts are the least comfortable. The oldest huts are on the North Island Great Walks...the Tongariro Northern Circuit and Lake Waikaremoana. 

Bark Bay Hut in the Abel Tasman NP..my favorite GW hut!

Great Walks are all about volume...they normally cater for the vast tourist hordes on their conveyer belt like tracks. Because of this the huts tend to be bigger than on other tracks with more bunks and more living space. The largest GW huts are 50+ people like Luxmore on the Kepler Track or Mintaro on the Milford. The smallest GW huts are more like 20-30 people...

Luxmore Hut on the Kepler Track holds 55 people....

...while Porarairi Hut only holds 20!!!

Great Walk huts are also expensive..$30-$75 for Kiwis and $60-$150 for International visitors. If you are going to charge this much I expect to be tucked in at night, a cooked breakfast and a cuppa in bed in the morning...

Serviced:

Serviced huts are next down the list and will generally have most of the features of a Great Walk Hut but tend to be slightly older and smaller. They will generally hold from 10-30 people though Pinnacles Hut in the Coromandel is a 80 bunk serviced hut...

Speargrass Hut in Nelson Lakes NP

Crow Hut in Arthurs Pass NP

 Some of them have hut wardens and some of them can be booked but most are first come-first served. When you arrive you take a spare bunk if it is available...if the hut is full you will be sleeping on the hut floor or outside in the tent you should be carrying...

Casey Hut II (2021) is the newest Serviced hut in New Zealand...

 They are cheaper to stay in at $15-$20 per night and you can use a DOC Backcountry hut pass at most of these ones. 

Sabine Hut, Travers-Sabine Track, Nelson Lakes NP

You are going to strike Serviced huts on the more popular multi day tracks  like the Te Paki Track, Round the Mountain, Greenstone-Caples, Rees-Dart, Travers-Sabine Circuit, St James Walkway, Hollyford which exist outside the Great Walk network. 

Standard:

The most numerous hut group these have slightly reduced amenity levels and will tend to be smaller (6-12 bunks) in less visited areas. They usually have no firewood ( you need to find your own locally) or gas supplied for heating and water may be from a tank but more often from a nearby stream or river. 

Lower Princhester Hut, Takitimu Forest Park

No wardens or hut booking at any of these with the most common design being the classic New Zealand Forestry Service NZSF70 six bunk hut from the 1960's and 1970's. 

Anti Crow Hut, Arthurs Pass NP is a modified NZFS70...

.

Trust-Poulter Hut, Arthurs Pass NP...another modified NZFS70

There are lots of standard huts in places like Fiordland NP, the West Coast, Tararuas, Kaweka's, Kaimaniwas, Kahurangi and Rakuira/Stewart Island.

Basic:

All the rest really...bivouacs, small 1-4 person huts, old musterer's huts, tent camps and anything over 60 years of age. They will tend to be older, dirtier and more ramshackle but they still do the business when required. 

West Harper Hut...open fireplace, dirt floors and sacking bunks!!!

Rokeby Hut on the St James Walkway

The upside of staying in a Basic hut is that DOC don't charge you for staying so if you are a budget conscious person look for this type of hut. This category also includes shelters even though you are not meant to sleep in them overnight...obviously use of a shelter is free.

Cobb Valley Tent Camp, Kahurangi NP...a Basic hut

Cobb Hut is another basic hut in Kahurangi NP...

I love basic huts as this is getting back to the most basic level of existence without living under nylon.  

Historic huts:

There is really another designation for DOC huts called Historic but it is not a separate category as most historic huts are not able to be used for overnight stays. They are being preserved for their historic value as they are very old, are the last of their kind, were the only hut in that area or have some other historical importance to the nation. 

Historic Jacks Hut in Arthurs Pass NP...

Lake Emma Hut, Hakatere Conservation Area is a historic station hut

There are a couple of notable historic huts that can be used for overnight stays including many in the Tararua Forest Park, Schutes Hut in the North Island and Myttons/Chaffeys Hut's in the Cobb Valley. There are many more but these are just a few examples... 

Chaffey's Hut (Cobb Valley) is a slab clad historic hut...

You can stay overnight in Bealey Spur/Top Hut (1905)...

Historic huts are scattered right across the country but a lot of them are located in the South Island as many were originally homesteads or old mustering huts. Many of these huts came into Crown ownership with land tenure reviews and generally DOC will only do vital restoration and maintenance work to keep them in existence. 

How huts are named:

I am not going to go too deep into how a hut gets its name because it is actually complicated enough for its own post. Naming of a new backcountry feature or structure is controlled...you may nominate a name for geographic features through LINZ. 

Mid Robinson Hut as shown on a LINZ 1/250 000 topo map....

As they are ultimately going to appear on the New Zealand topographic map series there are some basic tenets that must be followed:

No public hut to be named after a living person/entity 

Must be a unique name...not one in current use

No abusive/derogatory/objectionable names to be used

Final naming of huts is overseen by the New Zealand Geographical Board

In basic terms huts tend to be named after nearby geographic features like a hill, river, island, stream or track. This is a long standing and world wide practice as it is the most obvious way to make locating that feature easy. Examples would be Broken River Hut, Waitaki Forks Hut, Hellfire Pass Hut, Shallow Bay Hut and East Hawdon Bivouac. 

Shallow Bay Hut is in Shallow Bay, Lake Manapouri

Other huts will be named after some person of importance like a local explorer, DOC/NZFS ranger, historic run owner, land surveyor, naturalist and well known trampers. Leaders of tramping clubs seem popular as many of the original huts were built by tramping clubs and it was a means to remember great tramping companions. Examples are the Ces Clark Hut, Charlie Douglass Rock Bivouac, Field Hut, Carrington Hut and John Reid Hut.

John Tait Hut is named after a beloved NZFS Ranger...

There are a LOT of memorial huts named after people who died in some locale..often built as a hut in that location would have saved the person. Some of the stories behind memorial huts are very tragic with people lost in storms, drowned in rivers (...the New Zealand death...) or who disappeared never to be seen again. A good example is Fenella Hut named after Fenella Druce who died when Three Johns Hut (itself a memorial to dead climbers...) was blown off a ridge in Aoraki/Mt Cook NP. She and her three companions all perished. Her friends and family built Fenella Hut as a memorial to her memory...

Fenella Hut, Cobb Valley, Kahurangi NP

There are over 10 memorial huts in the Tararua's and I can think of five here in Canterbury which commemorate lost souls. A good example is the Manson-Nicholls Hut at Lake Daniell named after three trampers who died when the hut they were in was hit by a huge landslide in mid 1976. 

 

The old Manson-Nichols Hut at Lake Daniell

Another is Park-Morpeth named after two drowned trampers who were swept away while crossing a nearby river back in the 1930's.

Rebuilds and renovations:

You will often find that a hut or bivouac has been built in a nearly perfect spot somewhere so that if that structure needs to be replaced or rebuilt it will always be located in the same spot. This leads to a bit of confusion when people are talking about that hut and various ways have been adopted to describe which iteration of that hut you are talking about. 

This is Casey Hut (1976)....

...and this is Casey Hut (2021)!!!

If it is the first or second hut at that location you can refer to them as old or new i.e the old Manson-Nichols Hut or the new Manson-Nichols Hut. A common practice today is to add a Maori name as well so the new Manson-Nichols Hut is actually Kohanga Atawai/Manson-Nichols Hut. Something I do is to add the year it was built to the description i.e. (2020) or (1957)....

The new Kohanga Atawai/Manson-Nichols Hut (2020)....

The most widely used process is to refer to a hut using Roman numerals after the name. Thus we have Mueller Hut but also Mueller I, Mueller II...right up to the current Mueller V Hut. There are a lot of huts like this scattered right across the country and using the Roman numeral just makes it easier to talk about an individual hut so that everyone knows which one you are talking about. 

Mueller Hut (V)...the fifth hut in this general location

The newest rebuild and newest DOC Hut...Mintaro III (March 2021)...

Of course they don't teach Roman numerals in schools anymore so eventually we are going to need a new method.....when all us olde folk is gone what's understand it...

Hut bagging....and a review of huts I have visited

Breaking the hut bagging double century.....

As you may know I am a member of the Hut Bagger website....this is a place where you can keep a record of the back-country huts you have visited over the years. In recent years I have tailoring a number of my trip towards acquiring more huts...it is an excellent way to motivate you to visit places outside your usual orbit. 

Rakuira Track Biodiversity Bivouac....my 199th hut visited!!!

On my recent trip to Rakuira I achieved a milestone of sorts...I visited my 197, 198, 199 and 200th back country huts. Two hundred sounds like a lot of huts but it pales in comparison to other notable people on the Hut Bagger site who have visited 800-900 huts over the years.

Jacks Hut in Arthurs Pass National Park...my first back-country hut

The first back-country hut I ever visited was Jacks Hut in Arthur's Pass National Park in 1981 or 1982. Back then school groups used to visit the park on the regular passenger train to Greymouth. I think the train cost about $20-30 dollars return...unfortunately it is now $300 since it became a tourist focused 'Great Journey". 

We went to Arthur's Pass in Standard 3/4 (year 5/6 I think...) and one of the things we did while there was to walk up to the then extant Bealey Glacier going past Jacks Hut. Jacks Hut has been a roadman's hut, trampers hut, personal holiday home and historic site over its 100+ years. 

The 200th hut I visited was North Arm Hut on Rakuira/Stewart Island about as far removed in age, size and form as you can get. They are both still shelter from the storm so their function is exactly the same. 

North Arm Hut on the Rakuira Track was my 200th hut visited...

Anyway I thought it might be interesting to look at some of the interesting and or significant huts I have visited over the years. 

Other huts in my tramping history...

Here are a few other notable huts I have visited over the years..

My latest hut bagged: Lake MacKenzie hut, Routeburn Track

I recently finished the Routeburn Track which was my 10th and last Great Walk. Lake MacKenzie hut is located on the second to last day of the Routeburn Track at the picturesque Lake MacKenzie in the Ailsa Mountains in Fiordland National Park. This is now the oldest hut on the Routeburn track (built in the late 1970's) and must be just about due to be replaced. 

Lake MacKenzie Hut, Routeburn Track, Fiordland NP

Lake MacKenzie would be a great spot for a dip in the summer but as I was there at the end of March it was a bit cold...

Lake MacKenzie is in front of the hut...

Previous huts visited: Harris Saddle Shelter, Routeburn Falls Hut, Routeburn Falls Lodge, Routeburn Flats Hut...

Quirky huts: Lighthouse Generator Hut, Awaroa/Godley Heads

One of the newest huts in New Zealand is the Lighthouse Generator Hut at Awaroa/Godley Head on the Port Hills. Originally built in 1940 the hut was renovated from one of the old defense buildings attached to the WWII gun batteries at Godley Head. It was was officially opened in late December 2020 and is now open for use. It is a bookable sole occupancy 4 bunk hut with a full kitchen and is located adjacent to the DOC campsite at Godley Head. 

Lighthouse Generator Hut, Awaroa/Godley Heads

This hut is currently closed as DOC are removing Asbestos from one of the buildings close to this one but it is due to reopen shortly. 

Most nights spent in: Magdalen Hut II, Lake Sumner Forest Park

This is the hut I have stayed the most nights in...9 nights in total...I really love this 6 bunker just off the St James Walkway and always schedule a night in the hut if I am visiting the area. I have had this hut totally to myself on four of my six visits. 

Magdalen Hut on the St James Walkway

This is a fine example of the modern six bunk hut and I have see this exact same design in a number of places around the country. The hut is set in a big forest clearing with great views of the surrounding mountain ranges and the Boyle River is only five minutes walk from the hut. 

The interior of Magdalen Hut, St James Conservation Area

The hut I have spent the second most nights in is Lakehead Hut at Nelson Lakes NP which I have slept in for nine nights as well. Lakehead Hut is a great destination in its own rights but it is also on the way to the Upper Travers Valley, Travers Saddle, Travers-Sabine Circuit, Te Araroa Trail and Lake Rotoiti Circuit. 

Lakehead Hut, Nelson Lakes NP

Interior of Lakehead Hut, Nelson Lakes National Park

I always enjoy walking out of the forest to see that first glimpse of the hut...sometimes with smoke coming out of the chimney. It is a 24 bunk hut with a nearby campsite and has some awesome views of the Travers Valley. This hut is slated for eventual removal and replacement as it is on the extreme edge of an avalanche chute. 

Other huts I have frequently stayed at are: Bark Bay Hut (5 nights), Hawdon Hut (4 nights), Packhorse Hut (4 nights), Awaroa/Anchorage Huts (4 nights), Rod Donald Hut (4 nights)

Most visited: Packhorse Hut, Te Ara Pataka,  Banks Peninsula

Every tramper I know has a special hut that they return to often, one that just gets under your skin and compels you to visit on a regular basis. Some people have more than one hut they feel this way about. For me that hut is the Packhorse on Banks Peninsula...I have only spent four nights in the hut but have visited it 12 times now.

Packhorse Hut, Kaituna Saddle, Banks Peninsula

Packhorse Hut is now more than 110 years old...originally built as part of Harry Ell's plan for a tramping route right around Lyttleton Harbor. It has had a renovation and new lease of life with the growing interest in Te Ara Pataka a multiday track from Hilltop Tavern to Gebbies Pass. 

Sleeping quarters in Packhorse Hut, Banks Peninsula

The Rod Donald Trust have recently (2021) purchased the area of land from the top of Mt Herbert to the Remarkable Dykes. It will become a new Reserve and will include the area of land around Packhorse Hut thus protecting it for the future. 

Me standing outside Packhorse Hut in 2018

With four tracks to the hut and awesome views from its perch on Kaituna Saddle it is a must visit for any Canterbury tramper. It is a great day walk destination as there are four ways to walk to the hut all of which take from 2-6 hours return. 

Other frequently visited huts are: Lakehead Hut (6 times), Magdalen Hut (6 times), Rod Donald Hut (6 times), Hawdon Hut (5 times), John Tait Hut (5 times), Awaroa/Bark Bay/Anchorage Huts (5 times), Manson-Nichols Hut I/II (5 times)

Oldest hut visited: Jacks Hut, Arthurs Pass NP

I have visited a number of huts which are more than 100 years old over the years...usually they are old musterer's huts that came into the DOC estate during tenure review. Some of them are also dedicated recreation huts that were built by various tramping clubs over the years.

Jacks Hut, Arthurs Pass National Park

The oldest hut I have ever visited is actually Jacks Hut in Arthurs Pass National Park. Jacks Hut is on SH 73 about 3 kilometers west of the village and on the mid point of the Arthurs Pass Walking Track. It was originally built in 1879 as a roadman's hut at Rough Creek and then moved to this current location in 1909. 

It was privately owned by the Butler family from 1929 to 1999 for use as a bach before reverting to DOC as a historic place. It was fully restored in 2004 and while it is permanently locked there are a number of interesting information panels visible inside the hut. 

DOC information panel at Jacks Hut, Arthurs Pass NP

DOC information panel at Jacks Hut, Arthurs Pass NP

Other notable older huts I have visited include Porters Pass Roadmans Hut (1890's), Bealey Spur Hut (1895), Lake Emma Hut (late 1890's), Old Waihohonu Hut (1903), Whariwharangi Hut (1905),  and the Farewell Spit Lighthouse Keepers Hut (early1900's).

Oldest hut stayed in overnight: Westlawn Hut, ATG Waiouru

Slightly different from the entry above is the oldest hut I have actually spent a night in...

The grand old lady....Westlawn Hut, Tongariro National Park

The oldest hut I have stayed overnight in is Westlawn Hut...officially in Tongariro National Park although actually it is on the Waiouru Army Training Area in the Central North Island. Westlawn was built in the early 1890's as a farm house but is now used as a recreation hut by trampers and hunters in the military services. I stayed here a couple of times in the 1980-1990's when I served in the New Zealand Army.

Another notable old huts I have spent a night in are Whariwharangi Hut (1905) and Packhorse Hut (1910). 

Whariwharangi Hut in Abel Tasman National Park

I have also stayed in a number of huts from the 1920's, 1930's and 1940's.  

Largest Hut visited (non Great Walk): Carrington Hut, Arthur's Pass NP

Most backcountry huts are quite modest in size...usually from 2-16 bunks with the majority either 6 bunks or 10/12 bunks. There are some much larger buildings though...Great Walk huts, guided walk lodges and the odd DOC monster like the infamous 80 bunk Pinnacles Hut in the Coromandel.

Carrington Hut, Arthur's Pass National Park...gateway to the Three Passes, Barker Hut and Waimakiriri Falls

I have stayed in several large huts for example West Sabine Hut (32 bunks), McKellar (28 bunks) and Mintaro/Clinton/Dumpling Hut (at 40 bunks each). The largest non great walk hut I have stayed at is actually Carrington Hut in Arthur's Pass NP. This beauty is at the head of the Waimakiriri River and at 36 bunks is one of the largest non bookable standard/serviced huts in New Zealand.

Interior of Carrington hut, Arthurs Pass NP

Great tramping locations from this hut: Mt Harper, Barker Hut, Three Passes Route, Waimakiriri Falls, and Waimakiriri Col. It is a Canterbury trampers classic...I would argue you are not a true tramper from Canterbury if you have never visited Carrington Hut. 

See also McKellar Hut (24 bunks), Woolshed Creek (26 bunks), West Sabine Hut (30 bunks), Hope-Kiwi Lodge (20 bunks)

Largest Hut visited (Great Walk): Luxmore Hut, Kepler Track

Great Walk huts are all about excess...because they are catering for a lot of international visitors they tend to be newer, larger and more lavishly appointed than your old NZFS 6 bunker. I have stayed in a number of Great Walk Huts now but the largest I have yet visited is Luxmore Hut on the Kepler Track.

Luxmore Hut, Kepler Track, Fiordland NP

Luxmore Hut is either the first or last hut you stay at depending on the direction you are walking. It is 50+ bunks (they have five additional mattresses) and has the level of amenity you would expect from one of the major Great Walks. It is nestled in a gully high above Lake Te Anau and sits at over 1200 meters. It is a rebuild from the early 2000's after the previous hut here proved too small to handle the number of visitors it received. 

Side view of Luxmore Hut from the heli pad

Some people think these monster huts are an atrocity on nature but I disagree. They are a unique style suited to mass tramping and eventually develop a charm of their own. It is interesting how they have adapted a design to fit into the natural environment the hut finds itself in. The use of low key exterior colors helps to blend it into the background and its location in a gully means it does not stand out from a distance

 

The 50 space bunkroom at Luxmore Hut

The ability to contain all the visitors at one time is important with a hut of this size so the living/dinning area is large to accommodate everyone in inclement weather. There are also extensive verandas around the hut for extra living space. 

Part of the dinning/living area at Luxmore Hut

Other notable Great Walks Huts I have visited are Iris Burn (50), Clinton/Mintaro/Dumpling Huts (all 40 bunks), Moturau (40),  Panekire Hut (36 bunks), Heaphey Hut II (32 bunks), Howden Hut (32 bunks), Anchorage (26 bunks), John Coull Hut (24 bunks) 

Highest Hut visited: Mueller IV Hut, Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park

New Zealand is a high mountainous country with a long and distinguished history of climbing facilitated to a large part by the Southern Alps. With several mountains over 3000 meters and dozens of others over 2000 meters they have always acted as a training ground for those with a passion for heights. Because of this interest there are a number of high altitude mountain huts scattered around the country. 

Mueller Hut IV...removed in 2003

I am not a climber so I have not visited many of our high altitude huts...but I have been to a couple. The highest hut I have ever stayed in was the fourth Mueller Hut (1957-2003) in Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park. 

The current Mueller Hut (V) at Aoraki/Mt Cook NP

Resting at 1820 meters this is by far the highest hut I have visited...it has spectacular views of the surrounding mountains such as Aoraki/Mt Cook (3724) and Mt Sefton (3151) and several glaciers. It is a long, hard but not technical spot to visit over the summer months...in winter it is for climbers only. 

Other notable high huts I have visited are the Temple Basin huts at 1600 asl and some of the Mt Ruapehu/Wakapapa Ski Field huts at between 1600-1700 meters. Also Relax Shelter (1420), NSC Kea Hut (1350), Hanging Valley Shelter (1342), Bushline Hut (1290),  Harris Saddle Shelter (1277),  Forest Burn Shelter (1270), Upper Travers Hut at (1340), Luxmore Hut (1200), Blue Lake Hut at (1190), McKinnon Pass Shelter at (1150) and Mt Fyffe at (1103) are also getting there.  

My favorite hut: John Tait Hut, Nelson Lakes National Park

Nelson Lakes NP is my favorite tramping destination in New Zealand...I love its long golden valleys and high mountains peaks crossed by a number of passes and saddles. Behind Arthur's Pass it is really my tramping home ground I spend equal amounts of time in each park. 

My favorite hut in the park is mid way up the Traver's Valley...it is John Tait Hut. 

John Tait Hut, mid region of Travers Valley, Nelson Lakes NP

Interior of John Tait Hut, Nelson Lakes NP

John Tait is not the largest, newest or most picturesque hut but I just love it...it is a great example of the old style mid sized tramping hut. It is a workman like, no frills but well thought out design suited to most locations. I like the platform bunks...the centrally located wood burner..the long stainless steel bench...the awesome river views from the hut veranda. 

It is a real cracker!!! 

The Travers River is right next to John Tait Hut

John Tait is right in the middle of a avalanche chute so it is slated for removal and a new hut is going to be built a bit further down river. It is a damn shame....I have had some great nights in this hut.

Bark Bay Hut on the Abel Tasman is my second favorite hut...it reminds me a lot of John Tait in that it does its job in an understated way and has a class and style of its own. Anchorage is flasher...Awaroa has a better view but this is by far my most beloved hut in Abel Tasman National Park. 

Bark Bay Hut, Abel Tasman National Park

Other huts in my top 10 are: Luxmore Hut, Packhorse Hut, Woolshed Creek Hut, Hawdon Hut, Rod Donald Hut, Port William Hut, Fenella Hut, Fyffe Hut and Panikere Hut

Best hut converted from another structure: Otamahua/Quail Island Hut, Quail Island, Banks Peninsula

Otamahua is not a brand new hut...it is an old farm cottage renovated in late 2019 in fine fashion to provide an easy introductory tramping experience for people in Canterbury. It opened for visits in January 2020 and is already wildly popular with families, groups and individuals....

Otamahua Hut on Quail Island, Banks Peninsula

Otamahua/Quail Island is in the middle of Lyttleton Harbor and has been used over the years as a penal colony, leper colony, quarantine station and farm. It is now owned by DOC but administered by a trust who are in the process of re-foresting the island in the native bush it was once covered with.

Interior of the Otamahua Hut on Quail Island, Banks Peninsula

Quail Island can be reached by water-taxi from the Port of Lyttleton and should be a must visit location for anyone who lives in Canterbury. 

Most recently built hut: Casey Hut II, Arthur's Pass NP (August 2020)

Fantastic news for Canterbury trampers, the long overdue replacement for Casey Hut has finally finished its protracted build. The original Casey Hut burnt to the ground in late 2015 and DOC Arthur's Pass did not have the finances to build a new hut. 

Casey Hut No. 1, Arthur's Pass NP circa 2014....

Casey Hut No. 1 was a Lockwood kit set design from the 1970's so lots of varnished wood inside...one of my favorite types of back-country hut. Unfortunately all that varnish means these go up like a fire starter if sparks or embers get loose inside.

Another photo of the old Casey Hut No. 1, Poulter Valley

The consensus at the time was someone forgot to shut the firebox fully or they left hot ashes in a bucket which tipped over and caught fire. However it happened the hut was totally destroyed leaving a huge gap for those wanting to visit the Upper Poulter River Valley. 

The Casey Hut site after the fire which destroyed the hut

The money for the new hut ($300 000) was a donation from some local trampers...all I can say is you are bloody legends!!!

I have discovered that the two main donors are Mr Robert Birks and Dr Sharon English...in conjunction with the Nature Heritage Fund, DOC and FMC. Robert Birks is also the person who donated money for the building of Waiau Hut on the Waiau Pass Track in 2019.  

From myself and others who love Arthur's Pass NP and the Poulter River in particular I would like to thank both of you whole heartedly. I appreciate what you have done...

The new hut is a 12 person version with a large veranda and deck around the outside of the hut and large capacity water storage.  It has solar lighting, a number of commemorative panels inside and a really lovely object d'arte above the cooking benches. The new hut is about 800 meters east of the old location on a slight rise with excellent views of the Poulter River Valley and closer to the Poulter River.

It is also missing a few things...a box for DOC hut ticket stubs, a wood box for firewood, indoor taps or an indoor sink. Minor inconveniences really that can be rectified going forward. 

Map: Casey Hut II: red is the site of the old hut, blue the site of Casey II

I visited the hut in late October 2020 as I have long wanted to have another go at the Casey-Binser Circuit Track and I want to bag the six huts further up the Poulter Valley. These are Poulter Biv, Worsley Hut, Poulter Hut, Minchin Biv, Trust/Poulter Hut and Ranger Biv. There is an additional hut down valley on the true left of the Poulter called Turnbull Biv but I have previously visited this hut.

Concept drawing of the new Casey Hut in Arthur's Pass NP...

Casey Hut II in the flesh....

I look forward to the new hut appearing on the next iteration of the New Zealand topomap series...due out in 2021.

Here are some photos of the hut under construction...

State of the new Casey Hut in May 2020...

State of the new Casey Hut in May 2020...

There is a lovely veranda on the hut...wide, well proportioned and well constructed. Pity that it is sandfly hell and you can only last 30 seconds outside....

Casey Hut II: the wide veranda, solar panels

Casey Hut II: dedication panel inside hut

Casey Hut II: interior view of sleeping platforms

Casey Hut II: interior showing table and benches

The new Casey Hut officially opened on the 22nd August 2020 during Conservation Week. It will be great to once again have a hut halfway around the Casey-Binser Route. I have been anticipating this for some time and have already experienced the first of what I hope are many future visits. 

It is a really nice hut and with its new position looking up and down the Poulter River is in a prime location. Sure to be super busy for some time to come eventually it will gain just as many stalwart fans as the old hut had. 

Other recent hut additions are  Lighthouse Generator Hut (2021), Kohanga Atawai/Manson-Nichols Hut (2020), Waiau Hut (2019), Otamatua/Quail Island Hut (2019),  Packhorse Biv (2018), Rod Donald Hut (2018) and Rakuira Track Biodiversity Biv (2017)...

Memorial Huts: Kohanga Atawhai/Manson Nicholls Hut, Lake Daniells

The original Manson-Nicholls Hut was a memorial hut built by the family and friends of three Canterbury Tramping Club members who perished when the old Lake Daniells Fishing Hut was destroyed in a landslide back in 1974. Brian and Sharon Manson and Philip Nicholls were killed instantly while a fourth person was seriously injured. 

An information panel about the Easter disaster...

A group of close friends and family decided to build a new hut in memory of the victims and it faithfully served as a treasured tramping destination for over 40 years. 

The Manson-Nicholls Memorial Hut back in 2016...

Back in 2017 DOC did a survey of the hut and decided that it needed to be replaced as it had multiple serious problems with the structure. It was not going to be cost effective to repair the hut and it was not configured well for the needs of modern families and school groups who often used the hut. A decision was made to replace the structure...the new hut named Kohanga Atawhai/Manson-Nicholls Hut is the result.

The brand new Kohanga Atawhai/Manson-Nicholls Hut at Lake Daniells

The new hut is an absolute beauty...it is a 20 bunker with a generous dining/living area and has a dedicated Hut Wardens quarters, a new covered campsite shelter and several other out buildings. It has been built to allow expansion in the future as required and I am sure it will be a much treasured asset for many decades to come. I am pleased they kept the Manson-Nicholls name as it is important to treasure our tramping history. 

Kohanga Atawhai/Manson-Nicholls Hut: the new campsite cooking shelter

Kohanga Atawhai/Manson-Nicholls Hut: interior of the dining/living space

DOC took the bold decision to enlarge the clearing the hut was in...I think it was a good choice. It is now much more airy and the hut will be bathed in sunlight for most of the day. There is also more dry land for tents thus allowing more people to enjoy the area. There is firewood from the downed trees for at lest 5 years as a by product.

Other memorial huts I have visited: Fenella Hut, Rod Donald Hut, John Heywood Hut, Mytton's Hut, Ces Clarke Hut 

A tent camp hut: Cobb Valley Tent Camp, Kahurangi National Park

I recently spent a weekend exploring the Cobb Valley Inland from Takaka in Kahurangi National Park. I walked up the valley to Fenella Hut but on the way I passed the historic Cobb Tent Camp. 

Cobb Tent Camp, Kahurangi NP

A tent camp is a tent that is shaped like a hut and has a separate living space with a fireplace and a closed in sleeping area. They are made of heavy duty canvas over beech poles and were a well used design back in the deer culler days. 

Information panels inside Cobb Tent Camp

The sleeping area in Cobb Tent Camp

It took time to build a hut and in the interim the NZFS or Department of Internal Affairs would build a tent camp. Many of these stood for decades...the canvas would last for a good 15-20 years. The ones that remain are not original as all of them have been recreated for historical purposes. 

Cobb Tent Camp in Kahurangi National Park in 2020

Cobb Tent Camp has a picnic table and fire pit

A historic meat safe at Cobb Tent Camp

There used to be dozens of these scattered around the country but there are less than five now with a couple in the North Island, this tent camp and Soper Shelter also in Kahurangi NP. A fascinating reminder of days gone by....

Most remote hut ever visited: Lake Christabel/Caroline Creek Bivouac/James McKay Hut

I had to really think about this one alot...it really comes down to how you define remoteness. Is it defined by how far from a road it is or how many days it takes to walk there or is it a feeling of remoteness. Any of the three are apt definitions for the purposes of this post. Given these questions I have chosen three huts to define remote...

Most remote feeling: Lake Christabel Hut

Lake Christabel hut is a 10 bunker in the Victoria Forest Park just southwest of Lewis Pass. It is only one days tramp from a road but it is one hell of a day...22 km's or 8-9 hours of technically easy yet physically demanding walking. It sits at the far end of Lake Christabel on a nice river terrace and is a starting point for trips into the backcountry in the area.

Lake Christabel, Victoria Forest Park

Lake Christabel Hut, Victoria Forest Park

I feel like it is remote because I visited the hut on my own and I was the only person in the valley over the three days I was there...I didn't see another soul the whole time. To tell you the truth it kind of freaked me out a bit...especially when a Possum tried to violently enter the hut at 2am in the morning.

Interior of Lake Christabel Hut, Victoria Forest Park

A similar hut is Waipakihi Hut in the Kaimanawa Range...it is only four hours from a road but its absolutely the back of beyond in there.  

Most days to get there: Caroline Creek Bivouac

Back when I served in the Army we did an exercise where we walked from Hanmer to St Arnaud over the Waiau Pass. This was another of those 'make work' exercises we did to fill in time and because one of the Sergeants wanted to walk over Waiau Pass. One of the places we stopped at was Caroline Creek Bivouac at the head of the Waiau River. 

Caroline Creek Bivouac, St James Conservation Area

Caroline Creek Bivouac is 3-4 days walk from both Hanmer and St Arnaud so it is at the near halfway point between the two. It is not much of a bivouac...a small two bunker with canvas sacking bunks, a small bench and side table, a toilet and about a billion sandflies. We did not linger but only stopped to use the conveniences before heading on our way. 

There is now a much nicer hut located an hour down the Waiau River...Waiau Hut was built in 2018 from a donation by Mr Robert Birks. 

Similar huts include Marauiti (3 days walk) on the Lake Waikaremoana Track. 

Furthest from a road: Old James MacKay Hut

James McKay Hut is on the Heaphy Track in Kahurangi National Park at the northwest corner of the South Island. I walked the Heaphy Track back in the early 1990's and the old James McKay Hut was one of the places we passed on our way to Kohaihai on the West Coast. 

The old James Mckay Hut, Heaphy Track, Kahurangi NP

The Heaphy Track is 85 kilometers long and James Mckay Hut is at the mid point so it is roughly 40 km's from a road in each direction. This hut is as far from a road end as I have visited...it isn't that far to be frank but there you are.

Others are: Farewell Spit Keepers House (36 kms from road), MacKinnon Pass Shelter (30+ kms), Christopher Hut (30+ kms), Hanging Valley Shelter (30+ km's)

Huts I have visited that are no longer with us: Various locations

Some were removed, others were destroyed in fires, slips or floods etc...all sadly missed!!

Mueller IV, Aoraki/Mt Cook NP...removed in 2003

Hawdon Hut I, Arthur's Pass NP...burnt down in 2003

Casey Hut I, Arthur's Pass NP...burnt down in 2015

Howden Hut, Routeburn Track, Fiordland...hit by landslide in 2020!!!

Nina Hut I, Lake Sumner FP...removed in 2005

Rollo Wilkinson's Hut in the Abel Tasman being removed in 2017

Old Manson-Nicholls Memorial Hut, Lake Daniell, Lewis Pass...replaced in 2020

Howard Hut, Nelson Lakes NP...removed late 1990's

Old Speargrass Hut, Nelson Lakes NP...removed early 2000's

Old Sabine Hut, Nelson Lakes NP...removed early 2000's

Old Anchorage Hut was an interesting design....it is almost a carbon copy of Port William Hut on Rakuira but also has features of Bark Bay Hut as well. I visited it way back in the early 1990's and it was replaced with a new hut in the mid 2010's...

Old Anchorage Hut, Abel Tasman NP...removed mid 2000's

I am now on my way past my 290th back-country hut...at my current rate of hut bagging (roughly 10-30 huts a year) I should be up around 400 by the time I am 60....something to look forward too!!!