Mungo Hut

(Mungo Hut looking over into the Brunswick and the Main Divide: Photo Andrew Buglass 2007)

Maintenance Status

Mungo Hut has been designated as minimal maintenance. The main valley route to it is mostly river travel with a few short tracked sections that will be maintained as a "marked route" by DOC. These bits were recut in 2011. A couple of small connecting tracks to the Hut, one from the upper Mungo and the other from Park Stream, have been kept open by volunteers.

Location

Hokitika catchment. Grid Ref: E1453218/ N5234720. Map BV19. 840m altitude. Mungo Hut is a 1960's time capsule with fantastic remote ambience, in which little has changed over the decades. It is located in a tussock clearing on a flat section of ridge between the Mungo and Park catchments, a 15 minutes climb up from the Mungo River. Montane forest comprising pahautea, pink pine, toa toa, rata, olearia, and nei nei surrounds the clearing, and the peaks of the Main Divide and Toaroha Range tower above. There are a couple of hot springs a short distance downriver from the Hut above and below the Brunswick Stream. The upper and hotter spring needs to be dug out, and there are a couple of shovels at the hut for this. Mungo is a fantastic spot to spend a few days hanging out and has always been low-use. It averages 4-5 visits per year and in the 12 months leading up to February 2012 received just two overnight stays.

Access

Access to Mungo Hut from the West Coast side is via the Toaroha valley and Toaroha Saddle. From Canterbury it is usually via the Wilberforce valley and Hokitika Saddle, or occasionally Mungo Pass.

An old Forest Service track once went all the way up the TR of the Mungo from Poet Hut. This no longer exists, apart from its first section from the Toaroha Saddle turnoff to Saddle Creek. This is kept maintained and was recut in 2011. The remainder of the route is fine weather only, and is primarily river travel with the odd marked detour. From Poet Hut follow the main valley track upriver for half an hour, past Beta Creek, to the Toaroha Saddle turn-off. Continues upvalley from the turn-off to Saddle Creek and drop into Mungo riverbed here. The remainder of the route is mostly boulderhopping. Around the halfway mark the River cuts in against some bluffs and it is necessary to ford to the TL here. The crossing, a fine weather one, is not currently problematic, but is is prone to change. Continue up the TL of the valley to Brunswick Creek. The Brunswick is probably the most difficult of the fords on the Mungo route currently. It is fast flowing and not safe to cross where it enters the Mungo. A three-wire bridge marked on the old maps is no longer there. There is a better ford 2-300m up the Creek and Rex Taylor cut a track up the TL of the Brunswick to it in 2012.

Once over the Brunswick continue boulderhopping up to the Mungo for a round 10 minutes, then cross back to the TR. A swingbridge on this section was removed by DOC in 2011, but fording here or further up the Mungo is not normally problematic. Boulderhop another 10 or so minutes to Park Stream, cross and continue up the Mungo another 100m. The track entrance is marked with a large orange triangle and a steepish 10-15 minute follows, up the ridge to the Hut. The track was recut in 2011. Allow 2.5 - 3.5 hours from Poet Hut to Mungo Hut.

When approaching Mungo Hut downriver from Hokitika Saddle there is a short section of track that provides access from the riverbed starting around E1453255/ N5234540. It is incorrectly marked on the Topo map as starting on the TR a small side creek further upriver. The track follows a steep dry watercourse intially, then flattens and meanders through scattered scrub to an open boggy area just before the Hut.

Another short, steep access track leads from the lower Park Stream up to the Hut. This and the upriver access track were recut and marked by volunteers in 2009.

Type

Mungo Hut is a standard unmodified NZFS four-bunk design with open fire built in 1962 to replace an older Hut built in the late 1950's. A toilet was added in the early 80's. A small stream close-by supplies water and firewood needs to be scrounged from dead standing trees or windthrow. The occasional idiot has dropped a live pahautea (mountain cedar), which doesn't burn well even when dry. These beautiful trees are slow growing, and often several hundred years old.

Condition

Mungo Hut had its exterior repainted and resealed, some of the framimg and rotten floorboards replaced, and the chimney and fireplace repaired and re-concreted in 2004. This is likely to be the last DOC maintenance of any significance for a considerable time. The Hut is in reasonably sound condition currently, but someone needs to adopt it to ensure its survival. There is a hole in the skylight(bottom edge) and though this is still weatherproof it needs replacing. There is a leak in the roof near the fire place. Tussock roots are putting pressure on two of the piles at the back of the Hut. The tussocks were trimmed in 2012 but weren't able to be moved. The remaining piles in good condition. There are now good trails to the small stream for water, the toilet, and from the front of the Hut to the start of the track. The Paint work is getting very flaky in a couple of places and the Hut needs repainting medium term. Mungo has had a mouse infestation in recent times. Rex Taylor got onto it in March 2012, did some trapping, and left some poison.

Routes

To access Hokitika Saddle from Mungo Hut follow the vague trail and cruise tape around the bog at the southern end of the Hut clearing. The track becomes better defined once it gets into the scrub, and leads down to the River. Don't go back down the main track to the Park confluence unless you want a considerably long trip upvalley. A couple of hours boulderhopping should get you to the base of the Saddle which has a near-vertical slot leading up to it. Some tramping guides describe the Saddle as being difficult from the West Coast side, and I guess this would be the case using the direct approach. There is a much easier route up a large steep scree that enters the TL of the Mungo at around E1455908/ N5235847. Head up this and climb out on the TR about 2/3 of the way up (avoiding the obvious steep rock ribs) onto point 1850m. It is an easy stroll from here North, along and down to the Saddle. Mt. Ambrose is an easy climb from the Saddle and the Main Divide traversable to Clarkes Pass and beyond.

If continuing to Canterbury, drop into Griffiths Stream via the prominent spur running NE from spot height 1850m. The creek that drops from the Saddle into the Griffiths is reportedly user-friendly also. It is a long straightforward plod down the Griffiths Stream to the Unknown - Wilberforce confluence and from here around an hour upvalley to Urquhart's Hut. Allow 6-8 hours for the crossing from Mungo Hut to Urquhart's Hut in good conditions.

Mungo Pass can be accessed from the upper Brunswick Stream via a small side creek coming in on the TR at E1452935/ N5232200. Climb out on the TL of the creek further up and ascend the large scree to the Pass. The faces on the Gibson Stream side of the Pass are very steep tussock and bare rock. In winter and spring ice axes, crampons, and possibly a rope may be required. Gibson Stream can be followed a short distance down to the top of the small gorge at E1456348/ N5231687. Here you need to climb out on the TL up some steep faces, sidle behind point 1290m, and drop back into the Gibson down a rib on the TL of the next side creek. Continue down the Gibson to the Unknown Stream. Allow 6-8 hours for the crossing from Mungo Hut to Unknown Stream Hut.

Mt. Bryce is a fairly easy climb from the head of Brunswick Creek. A rock buttress between Mt. Bryce and Kai Iwi prevents any further easy scrambling.

Sir Robert Hut can be accessed via a high-level route over Brunswick Ridge. Head up Brunswick Creek to the bottom a side ridge leading up onto Brunswick Ridge, around E1452882/ N5232293. Once on Brunswick Ridge continue up to a small dip at around E1451902/ N5231267. Drop from here into the Sir Robert catchment down the large scree that feeds into the side creek below. It's very steep at the top of the scree so choose your entry point with care. Ice axes, crampons and a rope may be required in winter and spring. Once on the scree proper it's straightforward down to the creek, although it is active at the top with regular rockfalls. Follow the creek down to Sir Robert Creek and boulderhop upstream to the Hut. Allow 6-7 hours for the crossing fromm Mungo Hut to Sir Robert Hut.

There is a fast, but reasonably tough route to Toaroha Saddle Biv from Mungo Hut via Topo Creek. The Creek has two waterfalls in its lower section and a steep scree at its head. The lower fall requires a a scrub bash on the TL to get around it. The upper fall can be negotiated via a narrow scrubby ledge on the TR. Above the falls the Creek is steep with shattered rock, with a steep active scree at the top. The scree leads onto a flat tussock bench above and West of Toaroha Saddle (E1451662/ N5235060). From here it is a pleasant amble down to the Saddle and a short climb from here up and along to the Biv. Allow 2.5-3 hours to get from Mungo Hut to Toaroha Biv.

There is a great tops route out from Mungo Hut along the Toaroha Range with potential to drop in at Crystal Biv, Yeats Ridge, Adventure Biv, or Top Kokatahi Hut. A track at the NW end of the Hut clearing leads steeply down into Park Stream. This was recut by rex Taylor in 2012. Follow the Park up for an hour or so to the creek enters on the TR of the Park at around E1452917/ N5236770. This becomes a gut that leads all the way up to the crest of the Toaroha Range between Mts. Bannatyne and Chamberlin. The top of the gut is snow-filled for most of the year and can be tricky (if hard) near the top without an ice axe. Once on the crest either traverse Chamberlin on its East side, or cut across the upper basin of Chamberlin Creek and back onto the main Range between Chamberlin and point 1809m. Travel from here along the Range is straightforward.

A prominent spur running West off the Range provides access down to Yeats Ridge and Crystal Biv. The spur forks at a flat area around the 1300m contour. Yeats Ridge Hut is accessed down the scrubby face on the NW fork of the spur. A trail has been cut through a band of alpine scrub and there is intermittent cruise tape and couple of snow poles. At the bottom of the face more poles lead West through patchy scrub and open tussock onto a low ridge bounding Zit Creek. A track folllows this down to an open area bordering the shallow basin in which the Hut is located. Wooden stakes mark a rough route across the basin and up to the Hut. Allow 3-4 hours in good conditions for this crossing.

To get to Crystal Biv drop down the SW fork of the spur. Crystal Biv which is visible in fine weather from just below the 1300m contour. It is easy travel down with a bit of scattered scrub to negotiate just above the big tarn. Allow 5-6 hours from Mungo Hut to both Crystal and Yeats in good conditions

Top Kokatahi Hut can be accessed from the top of the Range by dropping down the tussock faces a short distance upriver from it. A shorter and more direct route can be taken from Mt. Chamberlin down into the head of the Kokatahi, which can be followed without difficulty down to the Hut. The latter shouldn't take more than four hours, but would possible be a bit avalanche prone in winter.

Adventure Biv can be accessed by continuing North along the Toaroha Range to a point North of Zit Saddle where the poled route up from Top Kokatahi crosses over (around E1451380/ N5240035). The poles lead down a steep tussock face on the Toaroha side onto a narrow rib, then down a short tracked section through a band of scrub into the upper TR branch of Zit Creek. Head up onto the TR bank of the Creek and follow a rough trail through scattered scrub across the face to Adventure Ridge. A short section of track leads through the alpine scrub down the ridge to the Biv. Don't try dropping into the Toaroha down Zit Creek directly from Zit Saddle unless you have a rope and a spare day up your sleeve. Allow 6-8 hours for the trip from Mungo to Adventure Biv.

Repairs needed

The leaks need sealing. In the medium term the two damaged piles and the skylight need replacing, and the Hut needs repainting. The broom handle is broken and needs replacing.

Provisions on Site

Four Billies, a camp oven, an aluminium basin, a hearth shovel and hand broom, a broom with a broken handle, two shovels, an axe, a handsaw, some black polythene, some bags of 6", 3" and 2" joltheadnails, two spare louvre panes, and one long length of 6x2.