WHY ARE HUTS SO DEEPLY EMBEDDED IN OUR OUTDOOR CULTURE?
The first answer is obvious: shelter. New Zealand is a mountainous country with a tempestuous climate. Ever since the ancestors of Māori first stepped ashore, the need for refuge in the wilds of Aotearoa has been abundantly obvious. Today, hut density and distribution in New Zealand mirrors the environment; the wetter and more rugged it is, usually the more huts there are. In the winterless north, a handful of huts; on the wild and wet mountains of Tai Poutini/the West Coast, hundreds.
But any tramper will quickly tell you that shelter is not the only appeal of a backcountry hut.
How about history? New Zealand boasts huts of many vintages, from stone huts used in the farming and gold mining past, to the classic deer-culling huts built in their hundreds by the Forest Service, and, more recently, the clutch of DOC huts that have brought new standards of comfort. Then there are plenty of quirky, unique, rustic or just plain weird huts as well.
Communality? Like a marae, huts offer communal living, bringing all the best and worst that offers. So crowding, snoring, selfishness (countered more often by conversation), sharing and comradeship. Stories flourish around the fire, on the deck, at the dining table; shared with strangers and old friends alike.
And that brings us to location. Aside from their welcome shelter and society, we value huts above all else for their stunning settings: on mountaintops, by lakeshores and riversides, in forest-fringed clearings, above glaciers, and on tussock plateaus. New Zealand has a diversity matched by few other parts of the world.
Picking the Wilderness top hut locations has involved long debate between the editor and contributors, and tough decisions to whittle down the list to just 40.
So here they are: the best of the best, huts with locations ranging from the verdant kauri forests and stark volcanoes of the north, to the gritty granite coastlines of Rakiura in the south, and the multitudinous mountains in between.
1 Cape Brett Hut, Northland
A lighthouse keeper’s hut at world’s end.
BY MATTHEW CATTIN
Cape Brett Track ranks frequently on international lists of the world’s greatest hikes. While this may leave some Kiwi trampers scratching their heads, it actually makes a great deal of sense. On how many tramps can you spend the night in a lighthouse keeper’s cottage on the fingertip of a windswept cape? The isolated hut is difficult to get to, especially in summer when the exposed track threatens dehydration and heat stroke. Visitors who make the effort are treated to a homely nautical hut with ocean views, salty breeze, and an opportunity to spot whales and dolphins from the doorstep.
Grade Difficult Time 4hr.
2 Mt Heale Hut, Great Barrier Island
Auckland’s best hut lies perched with standout views over the Hauraki Gulf and to Te Hauturu-o-Toi/Little Barrier Island.
BY SHAUN BARNETT
Built in 2010, the comfortable 20-bunk Mt Heale Hut offers a haven on the Aotea Circuit of New Zealand’s sixth largest island. The hut occupies a forested locale beneath its namesake Mt Heale, an impressive volcanic spire. It can be reached on the Palmers Track from Windy Canyon over the summit of Mt Hobson/Hirakimata (627m), the highest peak of Aotea/Great Barrier Island. Enjoy a
