​The Wainui Track follows the Pikikirunga Range in the interior of Abel Tasman National Park, beginning from Birds Clearing at the end of Bird Road, and climbing through forest past Wainui Hut to Wainui Saddle and Canaan Downs. Thanks to a keen group of willing local bushwhackers, funded by a Kaimahi for Nature grant, the Wainui Track got the ‘proverbial short back and sides’ recently, as the team reported:

One of the more beautiful valleys on the eastern side of Kā Tiritiri o te Moana / the Southern Alps is the Huxley, a major tributary of the Hopkins River, near Lake Ōhau.
 
On a pleasant, open grassy flat at the junction of the two main branches is Huxley Forks, with two huts. The first (smaller) hut was built for deer cullers in 1955. The New Zealand Forest Service built a second hut at Huxley Forks Hut in 1970, sometimes known as the ‘main Huxley Forks Hut’ (8 bunks). Just over 10 years ago, DOC did a major renovation of the exterior, but unfortunately the funding was unavailable to finish the interior.