Campbell Biv Restored

​Campbell Biv is one of the least visited and most remote of the West Coast huts located, on a scrubby spur high above the Arahura River. Built in 1958, it was designated for removal in the 2003/4 Recreation Opportunities Review but no one seemed to have got around to doing it. After 30 years of zero maintenance it was starting to deteriorate rapidly when Paul Reid of Permolat decided to take on it's restoration.

​In 2017 Paul Reid and Alan Jemison used a grant from the Backcountry Trust to go in and do some emergency remedial work but in the process of this it was decided that the rot had become so bad that it was in need of a complete rebuild.
 
In March 2019 Alan and Paul flew in with Andre Winkleman and Wade Phelps, and the team did a complete rebuild of this biv over three and a half days.

​The biv was completely dismantled and the frame lifted off and put to the side while a complete new subframe was built on new piles. The old floor was replaced and repaired and a new frame was largely rebuilt with only the sound bits of the original being recycled into the new.
 
To complete the rebuild, the old flat tin galv cladding which was in excellent condition was reinstalled and the old bunks and small cooking bench fitted in to their original location.

​Thanks Paul and team for your commitment to this remote hut. A faithful restoration of what is one of the older bivs of this model left on the West Coast.