Positions Priceless
Thomas Bywater’s top picks from New Zealand’s 950 scenically appointed public stopovers
There’s no doubt, New Zealand is a looker. Aotearoa’s natural landscapes command a special power to attract longing looks from tourists and luxury lodge builders. There’s an entire subgenre of “Cabin Porn” (not as naughty as it sounds) dedicated to Kiwi bach cool.
Self-contained, scenic and stunningly remote — there are few accommodations that capture the independent, untamed spirit of the landscape quite so neatly.
However, a break in a luxury setting needn’t cost the earth.
In New Zealand, we are lucky that more than a third (33.4 per cent) of all land is legally protected conservation land. About 8.5 million hectares comes under the protection of DOC. In there are well-known landmarks and no fewer than 950 scenically appointed cabins, in all shapes and sizes.
It’s no wonder, then, that when the Milford Track opened, all 120 bunks booked out for the season in 40 minutes flat.
While communal bunks, Primus stoves and congested snores might not scream luxury, it is the setting of these huts that is priceless.
With low-season bunks costing as little as $5 a night, like earplugs they are a luxury that anyone can afford.
Here’s our pick of New Zealand’s 14 most scenic public cabins. 1. Mt Brown Hut, Hokitika
This humble, orange shelter was built by the Mt Brown Community Project Team. Overlooking the wild West Coast, the bivouac site for four campers offers majestic views towards Lake Kaniere, Hokitika and the Tasman Sea.
Ideal for first-time trampers and families. Heating, toilets, bunks for four.
Free to use. 2. Crosbies Hut, Coromandel
Modern, with minimal design and minimally priced, the cube-like Crosbies Hut looks over the Firth of Thames, Table Mountain and the Coromandel. Within striking distance of Auckland, the decking and striking appearance make it the architect’s choice of hut. Heating, toilets, bunks for 10.
$15 a night. 3. Mueller Hut, Aoraki
The crimson-red tin hut at the heart of Mount Cook National Park is an alpine icon. Walking the four-hour Mueller Hut route feels like you’re in the footsteps of Edmund Hillary. During the cooler months, it is on a level with the snowline of New Zealand’s highest peaks. Annapurna, here we come!
Cooking facilities, lights, toilets, bunks for 28. $45 a night per adult. 4. Liverpool Hut, Mount Aspiring
At the centre of Makarora, Liverpool Hut sits on a level with the glacial Rob Roy Peak. Perhaps the only structure more well-appointed than the hut is its rust-red outhouse. There are few more bracing walks than the one to the long drop.
Toilets and bunks for 10.
$20 per night. 5. Anchorage Hut, Tasman
A beachfront hut in one of the most secluded white-sand coves on the Abel Tasman Walk. With water taxi links, you can arrive by boat or along one of New Zealand’s favourite Great Walks.
Flush toilets and bunks for 34. $38 per night. 6. Mt Heale Hut, Great Barrier Island
At the top of Aotea Island, the balcony offers an awesome view of Little Barrier and the other surrounding islands at the end of a four-hour walk. With only petrels for neighbours, and no electricity grid, the hut in the Dark Sky Sanctuary could be New Zealand’s best for stargazing.
Heating, toilets and bunks for 34. From $32 a night. 7. Lake Mackenzie Hut, Routeburn
Halfway through one of New Zealand’s Great Walks, there is no easy way to get to the Lake Mackenzie hanging valley. However, it’s worth the effort. Accessed by a cliff-side walkway past the camping sites, take a dip in the chilly glacial tarn.
At $65 a night, this breaks the budget, however, experienced hikers can enjoy the huts in the offseason (May 1, 2021-November 1, 2021) for just $15 a night. Get in early!
With heating, cooking facilities and (flush!) toilets.
Sleeps 50. 8. Siberia Hut, Mount Aspiring
In the middle of a monumental glacial valley, in vast tussock flats, Siberia Hut is walled in by the Southern Alps. In the middle of the four-day Gillespie Pass Circuit, Siberia is accessible by tramping or jetboating.
Heating, toilets, bunks for 20.
$20 a night. 9. Welcome Flat, West Coast
At the end of a day’s walk from the Franz Josef road, Welcome Flat is next to New Zealand’s southernmost hot pools. Hot pools and snowcapped mountains aren’t the only things of note: the Sierra Room is a private hut with a shower and a potbelly stove, for use by groups of up to four.
Heating, toilets and four additional bunks in the main cabin.
$20 a night.
Sierra Room $100 per night for up to four. 10. North Arm Hut, Stewart Island
On the Rakiura Trail, the North Arm is one of the best places to spot a Stewart Island kiwi in the wild. At the edge of the Paterson Inlet and Sawdust Bay, you can arrive on foot or by water taxi.
Toilets, heaters, bunks for 24.
$24 per night.
11. Mt Fyffe Hut, Kaiko¯ ura
With views over the Kaiko¯ ura coast, the Mt Fyffe Hut is a chance to look at the dramatic, seismic landscape from a height.
Heater, bunks for 8.
$5 per night. 12. Lane Cove Hut, Northland
The most northerly DOC hut provides a winterless Northland escape in the Whangaroa Harbour. It is surrounded by regal-looking Kaiaraara Rocks, also known as the Duke’s Nose for their striking profile. Toilets, bunks for 16. $15 per night. 13. Plateau Hut, Aoraki A classic alpine hut at more than 2200m, Plateau feels more like a Himalayan base camp than a DOC hut. Offering views over the Grand Plateau Glacier, this is one for experienced mountaineers only. Cooking facilities, lights, toilets and bunks for 33.
$40 a night ($20 for NZ Alpine Club members). 14. Copland Shelter, Aoraki
A shelter of last resort, this basic bivouac is more of a baked bean can than a hut. At the end of the Copland Pass, above the Hooker Glacier, what it lacks in comfort is made up in views.
Free with bunks for up to four hikers.
From New Zealand’s northernmost island, Raoul Island, to the sub– Antarctic Auckland Islands, Dulux and the Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai have been working together since 2013 to protect backcountry DOC huts, historic buildings and other facilities for future generations to enjoy. Doc’s huts have long provided essential shelter for Kiwi outdoor enthusiasts and international visitors. Situated in a variety of landscapes from alpine to coastal settings these huts are often exposed to New Zealand’s harshest and most extreme weather conditions. They protect visitors who seek shelter, and this partnership helps to protect the huts themselves.
To learn more about the Dulux Colours of New Zealand visit dulux.co.nz