Upper Wairau River Area, Marlborough - February to December 2020 Connors Creek drains the steep flanks of Mt Chittenden (2205m), an outlier peak of the St Arnaud Range, east of Nelson Lakes National Park. The creek tumbles through a beech-clad valley, until it flows into the Wairau River, deep in the Marlborough backcountry. A short walk (or about a 1km drive on a 4WD track) from the confluence is Connors Creek Hut – the subject of another recent Backcountry Trust project. Spearheading this project was Bob Chittenden, who shares a moniker with the mountain at the valley-head named after his father, Eric Chittenden.
Bob has something of a penchant for old huts, inherited from Eric – who was the first president and patron of the Nelson Ski Club, which established some of the early huts in the Nelson Lakes Area, including Kea Hut (built 1933-34), high on the slopes of Mt Robert. Over recent years, Bob and others have revived the Nelson Ski Club to restore the now-historic Kea Hut. With skills developing and momentum going, the group decided to tackle more backcountry projects. Next was re-cutting and re-marking the Paske Hut Track, then the Begley Track above Begley Hut. The focus on these areas naturally led to nearby Connors Creek Hut. Hakatere Conservation Park, Canterbury - October 2020 The popular Mt Somers Track encircles Mt Somers – a prominent peak near the Canterbury town of Staveley. While trampers have been visiting the area for a long time, only in the last 20 years was possible to walk right around the mountain, when the South Face Track was completed by memberS of the Mt Somers Walkways Society.
As parts of this South Face route are boggy, society members led by Brian Senior organised half-round posts, made into corduroy, and attached by Number 8 wire. Over time however, parts of this construction had slumped, and the fine square mesh used for boot grip had deteriorated, making the track unsafe for trampers – especially in icy conditions. A year ago, Society members decided to fix the problem, and were supported by a grant from the Backcountry Trust. Silverpeaks Scenic Reserve, Dunedin, Otago - November 2020 Recently, a volunteer group supported by the Backcountry Trust has worked with DOC staff to upgrade tracks in Dunedin’s beloved Silverpeaks. Although modest by New Zealand mountain standards, the Silverpeaks offer Dunedin residents some of their best and most accessible local tramping.
The area has a range of tracks and several shelters, including Jubilee Hut (10 bunks), Philip J Cox Memorial Hut (4 bunks), and the ABC Cave. Connecting many of the area’s landmarks and huts, the 25-kilometre Silverpeaks Circuit crosses regenerating forest and tussock-covered schist hills, and provides an almost uninterrupted panoramic view of inland coastal Otago from any of the four 700-metre peaks. Over the last 20 years, a group called the Green Hut Track Group (GHTG) has maintained an extensive network of tracks in the Silverpeaks and other local areas, on behalf of DOC and the Dunedin City Council. The group works most Wednesdays. This is a remarkable and commendable service provided by the mostly retired volunteers, and they have an impressive 56 tracks in their programme. Kapiti Coast, Wellington - November 2020 The Kapiti Mountain Bike Club (KMBC) has been active again building a new mountain-bike track in Whareroa Farm on the Kapiti Coast side of the Akatarawa Forest Park, with funding support from the Backcountry Trust.
The (as yet un-named) ‘Track 2’ drops down from Campbell's Mill Road into the Whareroa Farm mountain-biking designated zone, traversing both sides of the middle ridge of the three available to the club for track building. It finally drops in to connect with our first track – Red Tape, a short distance before Bridge 3. Track 2 is an approximate distance of 1.2 kilometres, and once connected to Red Tape will provide an overall downhill ride down to the Water Settlement Race of around 2.7 kilometres. This new track has more features and is of a more technical nature than the faster, rollercoaster Red Tape track. South Westland May 2019 to September 2020 In April 2019, major flooding just about wiped out Thomas River Hut – a loss that would have been all the more painful considering great work restoring the hut in recent years, led by Geoff Spearpoint. Fortunately, a hunter reported it and a Haast helicopter pilot confirmed just how precarious the hut’s position was. In May, four DOC staff led by Jeff Rawles flew in, put the hut on skids, and winched it safely away from the eroding riverbank. They also dug a new longdrop pit, relocated the toilet, and cleared a new hut site. A fantastic effort that undoubtedly saved the hut. Fast-forward to September 2019, and a team of Backcountry Trust volunteers flew back in with Jeff Rawles to continue the job. The team included Geoff Spearpoint, Jane Morris, builder Colin Morris and Hugh van Noorden. Fiordland National Park, Southland November 2020 Once again, members of Permolat Southland have been cutting tracks in Fiordland – this time the Poteriteri Track. This track goes through lowland forest between Lake Teal Hut and Lake Poteriteri Hut in the southern part of the national park, crossing a low, forested ridge en route.
Kahurangi National Park, Murchison October 2020 Nestled beside a strip of beech trees beneath the looming limestone bluffs of the Haystack, Larrikin Creek Hut occupies a striking valley head in what could only be Kahurangi National Park. Nearby lies the bluff-fringed Hundred Acre Plateau, also known as the Devils Dining Table.
Built in the 1970s, the standard 4-bunk S81 ex-Forest Service hut featured flat galvanised iron cladding, a corrugated iron roof and water tank. Unlike many other similar huts, it had retained its original open fireplace and steel chimney. While in reasonably sound condition, damp had crept into the walls beside the fireplace, there was no woodshed, the window frames were deteriorating, and the hut needed re-painting and a general tidy-up. On 19–21 September 2020, seven members of Permolat Southland worked on a track to Teal Bay, following on from track maintenance work they began two years ago.
Situated in southeast Fiordland, this 4.7-kilometre-long track begins from a 4WD vehicle road in the Rowallan Forest, near the South Coast. It climbs through forest to the northern end of Hump Ridge, where it intercepts the track descending down to Teal Bay on the shores of Lake Hauroko (this was the section the team cut in 2018). Along the Havelock Valley, in the Rangitata catchment, is a 4WD access track that leads through to Growler Hut. In recent years this former farm road had become so rutted through that vehicles using the track had started bypassing the worst parts by using the airstrip next to it, which in turn had started to tear up the airstrip and the potential for that to become dangerously rutted as well. This may not have been such a big issue if vehicles had kept travel to the edges of the airstrip, but in using the centre of it, safety concerns for light aircraft landings became an issue. A joint decision was made between DOC and the local group to repair the access road to protect the airstrip for both its concessionaires and its historical value, with part funding sourced from the Backcountry Trust.
The NZDA's Southern Lakes Branch was keen to get into a project following the Covid-19 shut down that all but ruined the annual seasonal high point for hunters. They contacted the Backcountry Trust in April itching to get out into the mountains and by the following month we had a project up and running for them in their patch.
Project lead Dave Rider went in with DOC Te Anau's Senior Ranger Grant Tremain in mid May and put together a work plan to catch up on some of the maintenance work on the hut. While there it was also decided it was timely to replace the roof, underlay and strengthen the roof structure. Built in 1975, Upper Spey Hut is one of the classic designs unique to Fiordland National Park and after 45 years of fine service on the Dusky Track is still in good condition. This 12-bunk design has been a simple and effective solution and many were built by Lands & Survey to open up recreational opportunities in Fiordland. The roof underlay was long past its use-by-date and condensation was beginning to seep through onto the rafters as well as near the top plates where the skylights are part of the roof. Built in 1968, Monument Hut is a tidy S70 6 bunk hut built by the NZFS in the Hopkins Valley. The New Zealand Forest Service had a great vision for opening up recreation in this valley pre-DOC with 2WD access formerly maintained up to Monument Hut. This opened up a huge area of backcountry ideal for family tramping, hunting and climbing. Over time the weather has chipped away at the road and it is now only suitable for competent 4WD vehicles. Without a 4WD many users will park at Ram Hill carpark and walk, or mountain bike, up to Monument Hut. A great little first stop on any adventure through the Hopkins Valley, or lunch break on the way to Red Hut, Huxley Forks or Dasler Biv. The area is also open to 4WD adventures up to the NZAC owned Elcho Hut.
Lake Man Biv was built in 1968 by the NZFS and is a 2-3 day round trip between the Doubtful and Hope valleys, located in the Lewis Pass area. Sometime in the early 2000s the original open fire place was removed leaving this less attractive as a winter destination, but still welcome shelter for most times of the year.
Apart from this modification, the biv had not had regular maintenance for 20 years before Peter Alspach applied for funds from the Backcountry Trust in Round 6. An assessment trip was undertaken in September 2017 to get an idea of the work needed on the biv. Built in 1962, Mid Waiohine Hut in Tararua Forest Park has long been managed as an original S70 6-bunk hut with it's as-built features intact. Grant Timlin applied for a grant in Round 4 for the exNZFS to replace the ageing roof on the hut.
Murphy’s Biv is one of a group of huts accessible up the Havelock Valley, and is a 1.5hr walk up Murphy’s Stream from the Havelock River. This standard S186 biv was built in 1965 and is a favored base for hunters, particularly in early winter for the early winter Himalayan Tahr season. Unfortunately the chimney had sustained some severe wind damage, in fact it had all but been completely flattened, leaving only the firebox base partially intact. Heating for this hut is integral to the hunting experience here so the decision was made to restore the open fire.
Mike Lagan of Geraldine applied for a small grant to do the work as part of Round 3 of the Outdoor Recreation Consortium funding. It would be the first of a number of projects Mike would take on in the local area. Howletts Hut is one of the most historic club huts in the country, and has served as welcome refuge for trampers and hunters for over 80 years. It's located in a snug location on Daphne Ridge in Ruahine Forest Park. The first hut to occupy the site was built by local botanist and school teacher William Howlett in 1893-4. Howlett's hut lasted until 1930, and was replaced by a second hut built by the Ruahine Tramping Club (RTC) in 1940, with help from the Heretaunga Tramping Club. After the RTC disestablished, the Heretaunga Tramping Club took over the hut, and undertook a major renovation in 1979-1980. Club members have lovingly maintained the hut ever since, and made several small upgrades over the years, but have largely retained its original shape and character.
The Nelson Tramping Club were one of the early organised tramping clubs to get involved with local hut renovations in their area utilising Outdoor Recreation Consortium Funding. The first project they decided to take on was the historic Flora Hut in Kahurangi National Park. Built in 1927, Flora Hut is one of only a couple of huts remaining with the distinctive two separate bunk rooms consistent with the social norms of the time. The hut was built by the Mt Balloon Scenic Reserve Board but by the 1970s had fallen into such disrepair that the New Zealand Forest Service decided to essentially completely rebuild it to the original design in 1972. By this the road end was quite close to Flora Hut and sadly it started to suffer from some vandalism by the end of the 1990s. At one stage removing the hut was considered, but the 2002 Recreational Opportunities Review saw a resurgence of support for retaining this hut as a key family entry level opportunity. In 2013 the Nelson Tramping Club decided to restore the hut in partnership with DOC Motueka.
Minchin Biv was one of the first full rebuilds of a S86 biv funded by the Outdoor Recreation Consortium back in February 2016. Built in 1958, Minchin Biv was one of the first bivs built to the new standard S86 design but its sad decline had been noticed over the past 20 years, punctuated by periodical inspections to record its continuing lack of water tightness. In the early days of the Outdoor Recreation Consortium, Roger Woods stepped in with a proposal to rebuild the biv and applied for funding in Round 3.
Located part way up the Matukituki Valley in Mt Aspiring National Park, Cascade Hut is one of the oldest club huts in the South Island. Built in 1932, the hut has two rooms with 4-bunks each which along with Flora Hut further north is one of a couple of huts still remaining whose design represents the social mores of the time. In the past few years maintenance had slipped behind on Cascade Hut with more of the focus being on the clubs 1949 Aspiring Hut just 15 minutes further up the valley.
The Canterbury Mountaineering Club (CMC) built the current Barker Hut in 1980 and this has served the outdoor community well as a base for climbing peaks in the area, as well as welcome shelter on some of the trans-alpine tramping trips in the area. The hut is the second hut on the site with the original hut being built in 1945.
Tautuku Hut is a converted Skyline garage built in 1991 in a clearing, in the Catlin Forest Park. It is reached in a pleasant 2-3 hour walk from the McLeans Falls carpark. Alastair Macdonald from Permolat Southland applied for some funding from the Round 11 grants for what would be the first round of maintenance for this remote hut in a long time. The group had tramped in earlier to recce the project and measure up what was needed. As part of this trip they cleared some bush around the hut to allow for more light on the hut, as well as cut a small track behind the hut and created a small clearing for a much needed toilet.
Back in 2018 the Upper Clutha Tramping Club kindly donated $1,000 to the Backcountry Trust towards the collective work and in the same letter said 'by the way, can you find a project for us?'. For sometime we had been trying to find a group to take on Top Hut in the Ahuriri Conservation Park. This small 2-person biv was built in 1966 but for the last 20 years had fallen off the maintenance schedule. It was a perfect fit for the size project the group wanted. The group flew in early in March 2019 and were joined by NZ Geographic roving reporter Kennedy Warne who was working on an article for the magazine on New Zealand's backcountry hut network.
In the week before the world went into Level 4 as a result of the Covid-19 crisis, Dave Hodder and five others flew in with Alpine Springs Helicopters to Tutu Hut. The trip had already been delayed by a month, but they managed to get in with enough tools and materials to finish the new helipad at the site. The day before they left they were advised that they would need to wear face masks and gloves on the flight, which they managed to find among their gear at home after they discovered that Bunnings had already sold out.
From the first days of the Outdoor Recreation Consortium, Backcountry Trust board member Geoff Spearpoint had taken on the maintenance of the remote NZFS huts in South Westland. These three S70 6-bunk huts were amongst the last built by the NZFS in the 1970s and over the last few years Geoff has led many groups in to this area to do the work on Tunnel Creek, Roaring Billy and Thomas River Huts.
Richard Shields contacted the Backcountry Trust back in February 2020 to say that he and some friends were visiting the South Island and were keen to pitch in as a group to do some volunteer work on a hut. His timing was perfect as we had just been starting to explore some 'paint a hut' projects for the South Island and this one was the perfect fit for their team.
Poolies Hut on the St James Cycle Trail had sadly fallen into disrepair in recent years before Christchurch builder Keith Dekkers approached us with an idea to renovate it. The hut was originally built as a small cabin for the AA Motor Camp in Hamner Springs and was relocated to this site on an old Army Quad by Brian Pool, Ted Kumeroa and Ian Lunn. The hut is an important safety shelter for the track if coming in from the Saddle Spur Bridge end. If the Edwards River is in flood it may not be possible to reach Scotties Hut and cycling back to Poolies is the best option. |
Projects
June 2023
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