Huts |

Hunters join with DOC to save huts

Pete Huggins — 16/04/2012

Hunters and DOC Rangers at Motutapere Hut

By Pete Huggins

Backcountry hut maintenance is being done by local hunting clubs in the Tauranga area through an agreement with DOC. This is great because it means we can do more, using skills that come from outside the Department.

About seven years ago we were planning on removing some of the old Forest Service goat cullers’ huts from the southern Kaimai ranges between Tauranga and Katikati. There are several of these basic huts along the North South Track. No longer in use by DOC staff, these huts were in bad shape and the plan was to simply remove them.

One of the local Deerstalkers’ Associations really wanted the huts to stay. So DOC embarked on a relationship that has culminated in several hut upgrades and a community partnership to maintain access to the backcountry Kaimai forests. Deerstalkers love these huts and want to protect them.

Motutapere Hut makeover

At the beginning of March this year a working bee was held to make Motutapere Hut weather-tight and improve the facilities for hunters. Members of Thames Valley and Bay of Plenty Deerstalkers Associations worked alongside DOC rangers for three days, removing the old iron cladding and replacing it with treated plywood boards, plus a new roof, porch and chimney. Merlin Rohan (17) and Jordan Ogilvie (18) joined Matt Gyde and Kody Williams from DOC to get the work done.

Montage showing the hut and people working.

Iron cladding was removed, a new porch was built and new cladding fixed

What the boys said

Merlin is from Thames and has worked with DOC before, laying traps in the Kauaeranga Valley. His father is a carpenter so Merlin brings his skills and experience to the job. He told me his favourite part of the trip was the good kai provided by Jordan, who cooked for the lads on the trip.

Jordan took leave from his engineering job to help with the working bee and is passionate about backcountry hunting. He told me it makes sense because access to the bush is free, in a world where most things are getting dearer. He said that the feeling of walking all day and finding the hut at the end is a great, great, feeling. He also said that everyone needs to pitch in. Jordan’s worst moment on the trip was waiting for the chopper to arrive, but I think he was pretty stoked when it did arrive to ferry him up to the hut!

The hut is now cosier and has an extra bunk space

Job well done

This is the fourth and final local hut maintenance job in recent times, all of which have been joint operations between DOC and local hunters. Just last year the Kauritatahi Hut (with the finest view from any hut in the district) got a makeover including a new deck, roof and cladding. In addition to helping with refurbishment of the hut, hunters are now helping to maintain the track to and from the hut, and are doing regular hut inspections. Kauritatahi Hut is now getting much more use from trampers, who are taking overnight trips just to sit on the deck and enjoy the view. The hut book was full of entries showing that the hut gets good use despite its ageing character. From now on both hunters and trampers will find these huts much more comfortable.

Do you have a favourite DOC hut? What do you like about it?

Steel ladder on the way to Motutapere Hut.

The area around the hut is steep with amazing views of Tauranga Harbour and the Waikato, this steel ladder at the summit is quite a thrill!

Thames Valley Deerstalkers are big on community involvement and DOC is better off for working alongside them on this project. Their President Maureen Coleman told me she has nothing but praise for the way DOC staff have responded to them, saying we are fantastic to work with. She reckons the project has built bridges between hunters and DOC, overcoming some of the “communication problems” in the past.

Are you a hunter? What do you think about DOC huts?

Postscript: Trivia about the hut

Built as a goat culling hut in the 1970s, Motutapere Hut has been moved several times during its lifetime. It was sited at Whakamarama and then on the Te Tuhi track to assist with eradication of goats, before finishing at Sentinel Rock which was a hotspot for goats in the mid 1980s. In those days the NZ Forest Service had a full time team of goat cullers for the Kaimai Ranges. How times have changed!

The hut has four bunk spaces and a rainwater tank. It also has mobile phone reception!

In Bay of Plenty, Coromandel, Hunting, Huts, Volunteers, Waikato deer, Deerstalker's Association, huting, huts, kaimai, motutapere

Tailings Hut – a successful volunteer working holiday

Department of Conservation — 12/03/2012

Six committed volunteers from as far afield as Australia recently spent a week helping restore Tailings Hut in Oteake Conservation Park.

The Volunteers and Mark Harrison (DOC ranger) in front of Tailings Hut

The trip to Tailings Hut is an adventure in itself; the 4WD track has numerous river crossings and steep rocky sections with long falls to the valley floor that get the heart racing. Travelling through this vast tussock country with big skies reveals a Graham Sydney painting in every direction. The hut suddenly appears, nestled in a small valley beside a lovely crystal creek.

Volunteers, Laurie and Mick spray painting the bunk safety barriers

The volunteers are keen and quick to help. Once assigned tasks, they work like beavers from early morning until they are persuaded to put down tools and call it a day. They replace weatherboards, tugging away the rotten ones, paint over vivid lime green paint in the bunkrooms, remove a wall of trashy graffiti, repaint the interior and exterior, refurbish the fireplace and build a new hay shed.

Volunteers, Sue and Paul painting one of the bunkrooms

There was little sleep in the camp for the first couple of nights, as wind funnels and howls through the camp site, whipping the tents around. The volunteers take this in their stride and have a fun and memorable week, leaving with new friends and a sense of satisfaction that they have contributed to the upkeep of backcountry huts.

The camp set up at Tailings Hut

This area is a recent addition to Oteake Conservation Park after the tenure review of the Mt Ida Pastoral Occupation License. Grazing continues in this area of the park and the hut is used by the concessionaire for mustering.

Volunteers Roddy and Paul hard at work

Volunteer Sue removing graffiti in bunkroom

Tailings hut is a product of three huts with different histories. The two bunkrooms were once single man quarters used for construction of the Roxburgh Hydro Dam. The larger building, built in the 1930s by farmers who previously held the occupation licence for the site, is now the kitchen.

Volunteers and Mark Harrison (Visitor Assets DOC ranger) hard at work in the kitchen

Thanks to the Central Otago Visitor assets team and the volunteers, the hut has been transformed into a light and pleasant place for people to stay and enjoy the Otago tussock country.

In Huts, Otago, Volunteers huts, nature, Otago, Oteake Conservation Park, people, volunteering

If these walls could talk… deer culler huts tell tales of our past

Sarah Mankelow — 20/02/2012

Everyone who has tramped or hunted in the back country knows that feeling; when you clear that last ridge or walk out of that last patch of forest to see the hut just ahead in the distance. Your pack suddenly gets a little lighter and you feel a sudden burst of energy that sets you steaming towards tonight’s home away from home.

But as you take off your boots at the front door, have you ever thought about all the others that have done the very same thing before you? That you are the latest player in a history that goes back decades?

Hunters arrive at historic Shutes Hut; photo David Yule.

Hunters arrive at historic Shute's Hut (1920 rabbiters hut)

The back-country of New Zealand contains about 1400 huts, a network unequalled anywhere in the world. And over half of these were built for government shooters.

Historic huts are more than just shelter; they are a reminder of the past and a link to our cultural heritage.

“So oil up your boots my boys, and check your pack and gun
The deer are far too numerous, there’s culling to be done.”
(Caughley, G.)

Deer culling sorted the men out from the boys

Deer were first introduced into New Zealand over 150 years ago, to hunt for sport. They spread so far and so fast they became a serious pest.

In the 1930s the government (Department of Internal Affairs) started paying shooters to go into the backcountry to reduce deer numbers and slow their spread. It was tough work, both physically and mentally.

Some of the earlier huts were built by the deer cullers themselves. Because these huts were built in remote locations, they often used what was on site, using old crafts for the last time like splitting, hewing, pit-sawing.

A new generation of culler huts

When the New Zealand Forest Service (NZFS) took over responsibility for deer control in 1956, they quickly began creating a network of tracks, bridges and huts for deer cullers who practically lived in the backcountry.

The first steel metal huts were cold and uncomfortable, and were soon replaced by the standard NZFS-designed wooden-framed and lined four and six-bunk huts in the valleys, and two-bunk bivs on the passes.

Muddy Stream Hut St James Range.

Many of these lasted far beyond their expected lifespan and still stand today, used by modern trampers and hunters. They have become an iconic feature of our New Zealand back country and are unique in the world.

Good keen men

The deer cullers were admired for the difficult job they did. They became an iconic – almost mythic – figure in the New Zealand landscape, thanks in part to the many books written about their exploits. They played a big part in creating the legend of the kiwi bloke, or as Barry Crump phrased it, the “good keen man”. The hut was an ever-present stage in these books.

State-funded deer culling continued until the early 1970s but faded out after commercial hunters using helicopters became more common. However, the legacy of the deer culler lives on, in their huts.

Cedar Flat Hut

Why not plan your next trip to one of these historic huts?

Roger’s Hut (1952) One of three remaining slab-beech huts in the entire Urewera Range, built in the winter of 1952 by a team of cullers led by Rex Forrester.

Te Totara Hut (1952) is the oldest surviving hut in Te Urewera National Park, also built by Rex Forrester, from split totara slabs.

Cedar Flat, (1957) on the Toaroha Track inland from Hokitika was built from a mix of sawn air-dropped timbers and hand-adzed timbers from the surrounding bush.

Slaty Creek Hut (1952) Another West Coast hut, built of pit-sawn totara slabs with an iron roof.

Dasler Biv (1966) in Mackenzie Basin was first known as Cullers Biv. This two bunk hut was built by NZFS with treated wooden piles, flat tin walls and chimney, and corrugated iron roof.

Caswell Sound Hut (1949) is the last physical remnant of the New Zealand-American Fiordland scientific expedition set up to study the Fiordland Wapiti herd. It was built of surplus supplies at the end of the expedition, so it would be used by Wapiti hunters.

Clark Hut (1941) the last remaining split beech log hut in Fiordland National Park was built by cullers Archie Clark and Allan Cookson. Archie Clark, the first deer culler in the area, was a local legend, an expert stalker and a crack shot.

Muddy Stream Hut (1965) was built in the St James range, Lewis Pass. In 2006 DOC donated the hut to Willowbank Wildlife Reserve who restored and officially opened it within the reserve during Conservation Week, August 2006.

Children hear a tale or two from old deer culler Bill Scott 2006.

Children hear a tale or two from old deer culler Bill Scott outside Muddy Stream Hut in 2006.

Further reading

Caughley, G. (1983) The Deer Wars: the story of deer in New Zealand (Heinemann).

Wild animal control huts

Wild Animal Control Huts: A National Heritage Identification Study (PDF, 5514K)

In Animal pests, Historic, Hunting, Huts deer, wild animal control

DOC’s picks for Christmas gifts

— 12/12/2011

Stuck for ideas on what to gift your loved ones with this silly season? Looking for something for the person who has everything? Why not have yourself a merry little conservation themed Christmas this year, and take some ideas from these suggestions.

A Great Walk experience

Lauren, Alannah, Jasmine and Jean had a primo time together doing the Abel Tasman Great Walk

Great Walks are DOC’s premier walks. There are nine spread across the country. They range in length and difficulty, so there’s something for all walkers. The scenery is amazing—some of the best in the country—and the huts and tracks are of a higher standard than other tramping tracks. With a booking system, you can see what’s available and when. Tickets start at $10 depending on season and track. Find out more at www.doc.govt.nz/greatwalks.

A Backcountry Hut Pass

Sabine Hut

This is the perfect gift idea for those who like to get out and about, or for those exploring New Zealand. You can buy a Backcountry Hut Pass that’s valid for either six months ($92) or twelve months ($122). These give you access to most serviced and standard huts across the country. This means the recipient can choose which tracks/walks they want to go on and when, with the accommodation on you!

A New Zealand native tree

So much more than just a tree in a box

Baby natives make excellent gifts—they can be packaged and presented beautifully and there are a range to choose from. As well as giving the gift of life, you’re also giving an experience, as they require planting once they grow out of their pots. This is a great activity to do with children. Once planted, they also help attract native birds into the garden. See your local nursery, or browse online, for your ideal tree.

Possum merino accessories

Help save our native species—fashionably. Buy your loved ones hats, gloves and scarves made from possum merino. These are extra warm and snugly, and come in a variety of colours and styles. Pests are the biggest threat to our native species, so spread the word on these woolly wonders. Check out your local DOC Visitor Centre for the available range, or browse online.

A bird feeder

Know someone who’s into gardening? Get them one of these and help them turn their yard into a tui playground. There are heaps of designs to choose from so you can pick one that suits the style of all gardens. These are great gifts particularly for city slickers, as a native bird in an urban garden is always nice.

In Great Walks, Huts, Recreation, Walking/hiking/tramping Christmas, conservation, Gifts, nature, new zealand

I’m still standing – yeah yeah yeah!

Sarah Mankelow — 24/03/2011

All is not lost – we are keeping some of Christchurch’s historic stone buildings! One of my favourite places to visit is the Sign of the Packhorse Hut and I was really happy to hear that it had survived the latest Christchurch earthquake.

Sign of the Packhorse Hut

It’s a beautiful old stone hut in a great location; perched on a saddle offering a grand view of Lyttelton Harbour below and the curve of the Port Hills sweeping around its edges.

Happy memories are attached to that place – my daughter’s first overnight stay in a hut aged only two! The friends we took with us who had also never been tramping before. The bottle of wine we hauled up the hill to drink with our pasta meal, celebrating a new year’s arrival as the sun set. Staying up all night as the kids played up and took turns to keep their parents awake, finally dropping off at dawn for an hour or two of sleep.

Happy memories – my daughter’s first overnight stay in a hut

Sign of the Packhorse Hut lost its chimney and suffered some cracks in the September 4 quake, but it seems to have held it all together OK this time. Its open again to walkers coming from Kaituna valley or Gebbies Pass, but the track to Mount Herbert is closed pending a geotechnical survey.

This historic nine-bunk stone hut was built as part of a planned series of rest houses by Harry Ell for a proposed summit route from Christchurch to Akaroa. Only four houses were ever built, all from locally quarried volcanic stone.

Making memories

Fort Jervois on Ripapa Island has also survived but has suffered some damage and remains closed for now.

Ōtamahua / Quail Island is safe and open again, another great place for families to go and have an adventure, forgetting about troubles for a while. Most of the reserves on Banks Peninsula are also now open, but reserves on the Port Hills stay closed due to the risks of rock fall. Godley Head too, is closed – all tracks and even the road is a risky place to be until rock hazards can be managed so stay clear.

While we keep getting large aftershocks, rock fall danger is very real, so please, keep safe and keep out of closed areas. Updates on track and facilities can be found on the DOC website.

But there’s nothing like getting back to nature to shake off the stresses of every day living – especially in a town that keeps trembling – so get out and about and make some memories of your own.

In Canterbury, Historic, Huts Canterbury Earthquake, earthquake, Packhorse, Quail Island, Ōtamahua

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