Routeburn hut won’t be rebuilt
A well-known hut on the Routeburn Track won’t be rebuilt after it was destroyed by a mudslide in February, while 30 people were inside.
Department of Conservation operations director southern South Island Aaron Fleming said the Lake Howden Hut was damaged beyond repair and would be removed. ‘‘It’s neither safe nor practical to repair the hut as is,’’ he said.
The hut was located about 3.4km, or about 1.5 hours hiking time from the Divide on the Milford Road, but Fleming said most Routeburn walkers opted to stay at Lake MacKenzie, which was 12km and four to five-anda-half hours walking time to or from the Divide.
‘‘However, Lake Howden Hut provided hikers with an easy overnight hiking option in Fiordland National Park and was used by a range of visitors. The Greenstone Valley, which can be accessed via Lake Howden Hut, is also important to our Treaty partner. We will be working with our partner and other stakeholders to consider the ongoing demand for backcountry experiences in the region and how we may meet that need however no decisions have been made.’’
The hut could accommodate 28 people and during the last Great Walk season itwas at more than 50 per cent capacity for around 70 per cent of the season.
The hut was destroyed during a storm in February, which trapped tourists at Milford Sound, prompted Emergency Management Southland to declare a state of emergency and caused widespread flooding in Southland.
Josh Moffitt, of Newcastle, Australia was inside the hut when the landslide hit and told Stuff at the time people in the hut had scrambled out of bed when roaring intensified.
Seconds later a large tree branch plunged through the hut’s wall and into a bunk which one man had jumped out of seconds earlier. Some people had suffered minor cuts and bruising.
The mudslide took out a toilet block but narrowly missed hitting the hut. If the full brunt had hit it people would have died, he said.
About 195 trampers were trapped in huts throughout the area during the storm, and were rescued in what became New Zealand’s largest aerial evacuation.
The department was currently rebuilding the 40-bed Mintaro Hut on the Milford Track, but the cost has nearly doubled tomore than $3 million since work started on the initial design.