Hut and Track News

Kahurangi National Park The Cobb Valley Road is expected to be reopened by Christmas 2018 with work still being done replacing washed out culverts. The road was closed after being badly damaged as a result of heavy rain during Cyclone Gita in February. Helicopter Flat Hut on the Wangapeka Track is…

Nelson Lakes National Park D’Urville Hut has undergone major renovations during May and June. The work including the relining of the interior walls and ceiling and the installation of new platform bunks. The hut was built in 1964 and has long been overdue for some work. Situated at the head of Lake…

New Paparoa Track Construction work is well underway on the country’s tenth Great Walk with the plan for the track to be open for Easter 2019. The track crosses the Paparoa Range, through alpine tops, limestone karst landscapes and rainforests, providing breath-taking views across to the Southern…

New Waiau Hut Trampers crossing the Waiau Pass between Nelson Lakes National Park and St James Conservation Area will find the new six-bunk Waiau Hut a welcome sight at the end of their 15km trek. The new hut replaces the basic two-bunk Caroline Creek Bivvy, cost $155,000 and was paid for by…

Kahurangi National Park The increased popularity of the Waingaro - Anatoki circuit, has spurred volunteers to upgrade the access to the Kill Devil Track off Uruwhenua Road near Upper Takaka, completing the work in August with funding from the Outdoor Recreation Consortium. Scrub and gorse has been…

Lake Rotoroa Route closure DOC plan to formally close the Lake Rotoroa Route in Nelson Lakes National Park. The route runs along the eastern shore of Lake Rotoroa for 16.2km, linking Rotoroa village with the head of the lake and access to the Sabine Track, Sabine-Speargrass Track and Cedric Route.…

Kahurangi National Park The mountain biking season on the Heaphy Track has been extended into October and November. Lewis Hut on the Heaphy Track is being threatened by the Lewis River. DOC is monitoring the erosion and is considering future options for the hut. During April 2017, Sylvester Hut was…

Kahurangi National Park The swing bridges over Blue Shirt Creek, Shiner Brook and Big River, all near Saxon Hut have been replaced with wooden pole suspension bridges. There are no longer any “NZFS one-at-a-time” swing bridges remaining on the Heaphy Track. The only swing bridges now remaining in…

Kahurangi National Park There is a large slip 100m across on the Cobb Valley Track which was most likely caused by a combination of the earthquake on 14 November 2016 and heavy rain. The slip is located ten minutes downstream from the Cobb Tent Camp between Chaffey and Fenella huts. Stone Hut has…

Balloon Hut wood burner and woodshed installation, Kahurangi National Park - (The Full Story) Background Waimea Tramping Club has a history of involvement with Balloon Hut going back to the last major upgrade of the hut in February 1995. A major force in that project was Diana Reeves, club…

Soper Shelter A new 3-bed tent camp has been constructed at the head of Lake Stanley to provide a welcome shelter on the 10-11 hour tramp between Waingaro Forks Hut and Anatoki Forks Hut in Kahurangi National Park. The 6m x 3m structure was built by DOC staff and six Golden Bay Alpine and Tramping…

Kahurangi National Park Soper Shelter A new tent camp is to be constructed at the head of Lake Stanley. The Golden Bay Alpine & Tramping Club will help build and maintain the tent camp which will be owned by DOC. A work party was scheduled to undertake preliminary work during February 2016,…

Kahurangi National Park Upgrade work has been carried out on the Kill Devil Track during November 2015. Debris building up beside the Dart Ford on the Wangapeka Valley road will be dug out this November or December 2015. A new emergency shelter has been built beside the West Branch Matiri River on…

Kahurangi National Park Golden Bay trampers are applying for funding to erect a tent camp on the Waingaro - Anatoki Track. Debris building up beside the Dart Ford on the Wangapeka Valley Road will be cleared every October or November after trout spawning has finished. Abel Tasman National Park Four…