❄️MIDWINTER - Waiopehu Hut Overnighter (NEED MORE CARS)

(DON'T NEED SNOWCRAFT EXPERIENCE)

Come along to a medium overnighter to Waiopehu Hut in the Tararuas! This trip is decent for anyone keen for a fun night up on the bushline. It is a 4-hour walk from Poads Road road-end, with the first kilometre of the track being across private farmland before the park boundary is reached. Most of the track is uphill and steep since the hut sits on a bushline at an elevation of 900m. The road end is a 1-hour and 10-minute drive from Kelburn Campus. The hut contains 18 bunk beds, but I'll keep the maximum number of people allowed at 16. 

Make sure to bring extra layers (like thermals) and a good pair of boots! The track can be quite muddy, and it can be cold at this time of year. Also, FYI, there is no fireplace at Waiopehu Hut, but it is a modern hut built in the early 2000s that is well insulated. You can retain body heat quite well if many people are staying there.

• Each person radiates body heat, and in a sealed, insulated hut like Waiopehu Hut that warmth lingers. The air temperature will also rise faster and stay stable for longer than in a less insulated hut with a fireplace. People moving around, closing doors, and staying active can also keep the hut cozy. You should still bring thermals and a warm sleeping bag.

Monday: Meet at Hunter Carpark at 10 am. Drive out to Poads Road road-end and start walking around 11:30-pm. Arrive at the hut sometime before dark and cook dinner.

Tuesday: Leave at approximately 10-am, walk back to the cars. Drive back to Welly for early afternoon.

It will cost around 10$ in fuel costs. You will need a blue standard ticket hut to stay the night which is 10$ (but isn't included in the trip cost), otherwise the Tararua rangers will harrass you for illegally sleeping in their hut. They can be brought at stores like Macpac in Central Wellington.