Quick Description: Located on McKerrow Island at the head of Lake McKerrow - South Island of New Zealand
S 44° 31.068 E 168° 03.811 (WGS84)
Lake McKerrow is situated on the Back-side of the Pembroke Wilderness area of Fiordland and is part of the Lower Hollyford River watershed. The Island at the head of the lake is formed by the Hollyford River as it enters the lake turning west then north as it flows into the lake with a flood channel continuing straight north where the river bends west - the Island thereby fronts onto the lake on it's north side with its south and west side being the river and the east side being the flood channel. This flood channel needs to be waded to access the Island and therefore some homework will need to be done before intending to venture there as if the Hollyford River is high then the flood channel will most likely be unwadable. As it was when I crossed it the Hollyford was not high yet the flood channel depth was still approx 100cms+ deep. On this 1km x 1km island is the McKerrow Island hut. Access to it is approx 9hrs from the road end of Gunns Camp off the Milford Road and is part of the Hollyford - Martins Bay - Pyke River walk. Alabaster Hut is approx 3 hrs further back on the Pyke watershed. If the flood channel is to high to cross then you do actually have the option of carrying on to the Demon Trail Hut which is another few hours walk further up the east side of the lake. For the most part the McKerrow Is hut is the lesser used of the trail as most people do tend to carry on over the Demon Trail as part of their pilgrimage to Martins Bay on the coast. Mckerrow Island is as stated approx 1km x 1km (maybe a little bigger) and is densely wooded with native Kowhai Trees making the birdsong of a morning and through the day melodic with Native Birds such as Tui & Bellbird. The Island itself is approx 15 kms from the sea yet I have seen seals venture here in search of trout and salmon which frequent the lake and river. Dolphins are not unheard of on Lake Mckerrow either as they venture up the Lower Hollyford river for similar purposes. The Hut itself is a 12 bunk hut with an adequate open fireplace so bring your own cooking gear and candles. Good information on this walk and others like it can be found in the book 'Moirs Guide South' which I would advocate as recommended reading. Treat the hut and surrounding bush with respect. Go easy on the firewood which can sometimes be found in the form of driftwood around the Islands brim.
Inside the Hut
fishing the river near McKerrow Hut
Type of shelter: hut
Sleeps How Many: 12
Reservation required: No
Cost: Less than $10
Available Year Round: Yes
Enclosed: Enclosed
« Last Edit: Oct 15th, 2013 at 10:01pm by StagsRoar »
Quick Description: Howden Hut is located on the shores of Lake Howden in the Greenstone Valley
S 44° 48.938 E 168° 08.099 (WGS84)
This hut is sited on the junction of the Greenstone/Routeburn tracks and is about 1-2 hrs hike from the Milford Highway across the Divide. It gets quite a lot of use in the summer - Peak Season, and therefore during this time a Hut Pass is required and can be obtained from the Department of Conservation . It it a large hut of 28 bunks with mattresses and has heating as well as cooking facilities. The track over the divide is well established and is so good that I have walked this track in the middle of the night with a pen light torch with little chance of getting lost. Not the sort of hut you want to visit in summer if you want to get away from people but the winter is certainly a bit less hectic. A nice easy walk and a good starter if you wanted to take young kids etc on their first outing. The shore of Lake Howden is 40 metres or so from the hut door.
View of Lake Howden from in front of hut
Type of shelter: cabin
Sleeps How Many: 28
Cost: $10-$30
Available Year Round: Yes
Enclosed: Open
« Last Edit: Oct 15th, 2013 at 10:01pm by StagsRoar »
Quick Description: Glaisnock Hut is sited in the Glaisnock Wilderness Area of Fiordland, New Zealand and is surrounded by pristine Forest & Mountains.
S 44° 59.909 E 167° 41.822 (WGS84)
This hut is most frequently visited by "Hunters & Fishermen and is accessible by boat only, up & across Lake TeAnau at the head of the North Arm. Boating up this arm can be harrowing as weather funnels out of the mountains and down the valley to the lake so pick your day! It is a sizeable journey and boats can be launched at TeAnau Township itself which would make it considerably longer or by launching from TeAnau Downs which will nearly halve the trip but still be significant in a small boat. The trip along the North Arm involves passing the Luger Burn and going through the Narrows to the head of the arm. The hut itself has bunks & matresses for 12 people and has a pot-belly stove for heating. Take gas cookers! Be it that you need a boat to get there I would advocate taking your own sack of coal for the fire and not be hacking away at wood from the surrounding Native Forest. There are no tracks up this valley but rather it can be negotiated by creating your own route through the dense forest that it is. Topographical Map and compass is a must and GPS coverage could be scant under the forest canopy. The Glaisnock River is photogenic and is a few minutes bush bash straight out from the from the front door of the hut and can't be waded. Be cautious of this rivers ability to rise and fall given rain and storms up the valley and in the mountains that you may no nothing about. Leave this hut clean and tidy should you go there and don't forget to take your camera should you visit it either. The scenery here typifies Fiordland.
Type of shelter: hut
Sleeps How Many: 12
Reservation required: No
Cost: Less than $10
Available Year Round: Yes
Enclosed: Enclosed
Glaisnock River adjacent to hut
Head of the North Arm toward hut location
The reason I came...
« Last Edit: Oct 15th, 2013 at 10:02pm by StagsRoar »
Quick Description: Wills Valley Hut is part of the Mt Aspiring National Park.
S 44° 02.276 E 169° 27.867 (WGS84)
This Hut is approx 4 hrs walk from the nearest Road which would be next to the Gates of Haast on the West Coast Highway. The Hike in is pretty much up hill into the Wills Valley which is a semi-hanging valley. Water supply for this hut is from the river which runs through the valley next to the hut. It is a very comfortable little hut that has bunks and mattresses for 4 people. It has no cooking facilities so take in Gas cookers but does have an open fireplace which will warm the hut up very adequately in the colder weather. I imagine this hut would be mostly used by Hunters after Chamois which are low in numbers in the area. It is not a circuit track as it is a kind of a walk in - walk out type valley. The track in is pretty good and I did notice a lot of that Onga-onga (stinging nettle) at the start of the track. A good place to go to take photos as well I noticed given that you get a nice day in the valley with none of the usual West Coast rain. A hike to the head of the valley is worth a look and there is no track so you have to find your own way up there and back. It can take quite a bit longer to get up to the head of the than you may anticipate when looking at a Topographical Map - so give yourself plenty of time. I don't think this valley sees a lot of foot traffic so is quite good if you want to get away from it all for a while. Be sure to look after the hut and leave it in better condition than when you found it. Also, don't be to rash with the surrounding dead wood you use for a fire.
if wanting to carry on to the top flats towards the head basin - from the top end of the clearing where the hut is you then need to enter the bush at approx Dukes Creek (S'44°01.648, E'169°30.393) and boulder hop your way up till the bush opens up again near Sweet Nell Creek (S'44°01.075, E'169°32.894). Best to take a tent and fly camp up there otherwise you'll no sooner get there and you'll be thinking it's time to turn around again. Nice looking valley and scenery at the top end.
Type of shelter: hut
Sleeps How Many: 4
Cost: Less than $10
Available Year Round: Yes
Enclosed: Enclosed
looking up Wills Valley towards Hut
Wills Valley - packing in
Shot of Mountain Tops from near hut
« Last Edit: Oct 15th, 2013 at 5:12pm by StagsRoar »
Quick Description: Worsley Hut is situated near the mouth of the Worsley River as it enters Lake TeAnau in the Fiordland National Park.
This Hut is accessible only by boat which can be launched from TeAnau Downs or TeAnau township itself and is a fairly significant ride to the Worsley Arm which is west of the head of the lake. Worsley Hut attracts mostly Fishermen and Hunters and is a hut that has bunks and mattress for 12 people. The hut is sited in some of New Zealands most beautiful Native Forest and Valleys and a walk up the valley for about 20 minutes will take you to St Marys Falls which are hidden on the south side of the valley and requires some "Bush Bashing" to get to the base of these falls as well as wading across the Worsley River itself of which there are no bridges so pick your day and place!! The Hut has a pot-belly stove and since you need a boat to get there it is a good idea to cart along a sack of coal for the fire. [DON'T GO DESTROYING THE SURROUNDING BUSH FOR THE SAKE OF A FIRE.] You can cook on top of the pot-belly but take gas cookers non-the-less. The weather patterns on the Lake for the Boat ride in are dubious at the best of times so learn to try and read the mood of the weather and the lake a little. The main part of the lake can be smooth but once you enter any of the arms of this lake it can be a different picture and visa versa. Hut & Fees are managed by the Department of Conservation in TeAnau. Look after this hut and leave it cleaner than when you arrived should you visit.
Inside the Hut
Type of shelter: hut
Sleeps How Many: 12
Reservation required: No
Cost: Less than $10
Available Year Round: Yes
Enclosed: Enclosed
The nearby river mouth
Looking to the head of the Worsley Arm
Fly fishing a nearby river
Approaching Worsley arm from head of Lake
« Last Edit: Oct 11th, 2012 at 4:24pm by StagsRoar »
Access to Poteriteri is either a fly in or an expensive boat ride in. Other than that you can walk on but it takes some days and is pretty much a bush bash rather than a track. I believe there was a route marked from the bottom end of Lake Hauroko but as to it's condition & reliablity I'm not sure.
View of the Lake in front of the hut.
(Photos taken and sent to me by Jolie McLeod)
« Last Edit: Feb 24th, 2015 at 5:44pm by StagsRoar »
Access to this Hut is through Hikuraki Station on the Mavora Lakes Road. A public easement exists from the road down to the carpark (approx 600metres). From there you cross the swingbridge and follow the river down stream on a well formed track for about 45 minutes or so and then cutting in the Kiwi burn Valley until about 15 - 20 mins later the KiwiBurn Clearings are reached. Cross the Kiwiburn Stream and head over to the left side and the hut is parked next to the bush a little further on. 12 bunk hut with a pot belly stove. Takes about an hour and a half to walk in. Lower numbers of Deer & Chamois. Easy walk for the family:
The Hut as it was repainted in 2013:
« Last Edit: Oct 3rd, 2016 at 8:51pm by StagsRoar »
Main hut is 8 bunks and older cullers hut has 4 bunks. About an hours walk in if you follow the old 4WD track or 2 hours on the D.O.C track.
Low numbers of deer. I think it gets a bit more of hiding from pig hunters though.
The land is adjoining Pleasant Valley Station. To park near cattle yards and use the 4WD track to walk in you need to give Pleasant Valley Station a call and ask. I found them very personable in this regards. Good walk in to take kids and family but don't count on it to fill the freezer.
Can carry on up the Waterloo Vally to other Huts or continue up the Aparima Valley.
« Last Edit: Feb 24th, 2015 at 5:47pm by StagsRoar »
Purely a Historical Hut on Mt Nicholas Station, Southland. New Zealand. Bullock Creek Hut was originally set up many years ago as a Musters and Deer Cullers hut many years ago. Today it remains open to the public for viewing only and has been maintained and preserved for this purpose. I am unsure of the date this hut was built - it originally had dates and names inscribed and written on boards and rafters within the hut but a restoration project back in 2009 saw a number of these removed. The drive into here is certainly worth it just for it's scenic value. Across the valley from the hut can be seen where the Oreti River flows out from the Thompson Mountains. Where the road crosses the Oreti River bridge further up the valley is approx where the boundary of where Mt Nicholas Station starts.
Moturau Hut is part of the Great walks - Kepler Track, Eastern Fiordland, New Zealand. Grid reference: Topo50 map sheet CD07, E1178760, N4949343
Moturau hut can be easily walked to within about 1.5 - 2 hrs if starting from The Rainbow Reach end of the Kepler Track. coordinates for this are S45 29.503 E167 39.819. The Kepler Track is a 60 km, 3-4 day loop track taking you from the gentle, beech-forested shores of lakes Te Anau and Manapouri to the tussocky alpine tops and grand Mt Luxmore. Your reward for the hill climb is a long section above bushline with marvellous panoramic views of the Kepler Mountains on one side, and lakes, rivers and hanging valleys on the other.
The Kepler Track is an excellent track for you and your family and friends, especially if you love the outdoors, want an adventure with a bit of a physical challenge that is not too hard to get to and has excellent facilities.
This is a Great Walk and offers a high standard of track and very comfortable, serviced huts as well as camping opportunities.
As a rule when doing this loop track people generally do it anti-clockwise with Moturau Hut being the last hut before the completion of the track. For those who want to do just an easy over nighter then walking the Kepler to Moturau hut would be ideal and is good for kids starting out in hiking/tramping.
Check the above links before venturing here. This track gets very busy and in the summer season is particularly expensive to stay here. Spring and Autumn tends to be a bit better with less traffic and rates reduced.
In peak season (summer), $54.00 per person, per night, and under 18s are free (but bookings are still required). In winter, $15.00 per person, per night, and under 18s are free.
Located in Southern Fiordland at the start of the Green Lake Track off the Borland/Grebe Valley Roads.
The Borland Bivvy is really just an emergency A-frame hut that serves little function other than being a stop over in the event of bad weather or some other event causing delay. In saying that - it can serve to function as a base for Hunting/hiking the area but it is only a 2 bed hut with no other facility for it. It can be driven to and I think most people that ever use it , use it as a jumping point to the Green Lake Track. More information on the Borland Bivvy can be found on the Dept of Conservation website here; http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-stay/backcountry-huts-by-r...
Type of shelter: hut
Stay overnight: Yes
Sleeps How Many: 2
Reservation required: No
Cost: Free
Available Year Round: Yes
Enclosed: Enclosed
« Last Edit: Feb 24th, 2015 at 5:54pm by StagsRoar »
Quick Description: Located in the Eyre Mountains, Southland New Zealand. Grid reference: Topo50 map sheet CD10, E1242543, N4961947
Long Description: Shepherd Creek Hut is located up the Eyre Creek Valley near the junction with Shepherd Creek. Access to this hut is from the head of the Eyre Creek Valley road which , at it's head, passes through private land on a Public Easement. Please be sure to shut farm gates as you found them etc and keep to the vehicle tracks. The 4WD vehicle track can take you part the way up the valley but access by car generally won't be any further than Sandfly Creek at S45°26.813, E168°27.066. After that, if in a 4WD you take your own chances. Walking from Sandfly Creek to the hut is generally only about 1.5hrs easy-moderate walk. the hut is a 6 bunk hut with a Pot Belly Fireplace. Water is from the Eyre Creek about 60ft away. Can be bad for Sandflies up here so take repellant.