Dickie Spur Hut

(Dickie Spur Hut looking up to the head of the Tuke: Photo Andrew Buglass 2007)

Maintenance status

Dickie Spur Hut and track are designated as fully maintain currently.

Location

Mikonui catchment. Map BV18. Grid Ref: E1426510/ N5230443. Altitude 1090m. Dickie Spur Hut is located at the northern end of Dickie Ridge high above the TL of the Tuke River. There are superb views from the Hut out to the coast, and of the peaks in the head of the Tuke. Dickie Spur is a great overnight destination, or stopover en route to Tuke Hut and beyond. There are high-level routes over Dickie Ridge and the Tusk to Top Waitaha and Ivory Lake Huts. Dickie Spur gets a steady trickle of visitors, although there is the odd gap of up to six months between visits in the hutbook.

Access

Dickie Spur is most commonly accessed via a fully maintained track from Mikonui Flat. There is also an unmaintained route from Polluck Creek Hut in the Kakapotahi valley that connects with this route at Turan Pass. The track from the Mikonui was last cut in March 2007 and starts in scattered scrub 200m SE of Mikonui Flat Hut. It enters the bush and climbs steeply over a wedge of terrace dropping into the Tuke River at the footbridge at the top of the lower Tuke gorge. The track continues up the TL until around 100m downstream from Truran Creek. It turns uphill here and climbs steeply onto the terraces above the TL of Truran Creek, sidling higher than marked on the map around to Truran Pass. The track down to Polluck Creek turns off near the Pass. The turn-off is incorrectly marked on the map as being further down in Pollock Creek.

A slip has taken out a big bit of the track not far above Truran Pass but this is easily skirted to the West. After this the track climbs steeply towards Dickie Ridge, connecting with it in the alpine scrub zone. The going flattens for a bit then climbs in steps to around the 1200m contour line. A marker pole here indicates the turn-off down to the Hut. Drop down the side ridge here in a NE direction following cruise tape and small wooden stakes with permolat. The Hut is on a tussock bench just off the side ridge and good visibility helps in locating it. Allow 5-6 hours from Mikonui Flat Hut to Dickie Spur Hut.

Route up from Polluck Creek Hut is fairly gentle creek travel most of the way up to Truran Pass. The last section of track up to the Pass is not officially maintained, but had a bit of work done on it by volunteers in 2010. Allow 4-5 hours from Polluck Creek Hut to Dickie Spur Hut.

Type

Dickie Spur is a basic NZFS 4-bunk design. It had its wood burner removed in the 90's and a toliet added. A roof-fed water tank was built on in 2003/ 4.

Condition

Dickie Spur is clean and tidy and in good condition currently. DOC repainted and resealed it, installed the watertank, and revamped the toilet in the summer of 2003/4. Water appears to be getting in above the Hut door somewhere and dripping into the cupboard area. There is a small damp area on the floor in the NW corner.

Routes

To get to Tuke Hut head back up the trail to Dickie Ridge and up and over spot height 1326m to the the small saddle at 1296m. Drop from here into the creek catchment directly below and follow this down to just above where it meets the Tuke. A section of track recut in 2007 exits on TR of the creek and sidles upriver for 15 minutes before dropping into the Tuke at the top entrance of the upper gorge. It is mostly fairly easy river travel from here up to the Hut, crossing where necessary. In 2007 the trackcutters marked a couple of crossing points and cut short sections of track around the boulders. These are not neccessarily at the easiest or most practical fords, so use your common sense here. There is a short section of track up around the TL of a small gorge 20 minutes below the Hut. A track of sorts leads up to the Hut from the River. The entrance is on the bank of a small creek just upriver from the Hut site. It is not well marked, but the Hut is clearly visible from many points on the route up the valley and shouldn't be difficult to locate. Allow 3-4 hours from Dickie Spur to Top Tuke Hut.

It is possible to access Top Tuke via Dickie Ridge, but it is a long haul up there. In addition, the faces above Tuke Hut are bluffy and caution and good visibility are necessary when picking a line down. The valley route possibly faster, and probably less hassle.

Top Waitaha Hut can be accessed from Dickie Spur Hut via Dickie Ridge, The Tusk and Ragged Peak. A notch in the ridge around point 1920m has inspired some negative comments in the hutbook, and a recommendation to carry a rope. There are a couple of places that are reasonably exposed here and call for an ability to downclimb, but I've done it without a rope and didn't find it too problematic. The traverse of The Tusk and Ragged Peak is quite easy. Drop off Ragged Peak down its SE spur towards the Stag/ Reid Creek confluence. Top Waitaha Hut is visible further down the spur.

Sawtooth Ridge is traversable, mostly on its South side. Take an ice axe for this. Ivory Lake Hut can then be accessed over point 1870m and the spur on the TR of the Lake.

Repairs

Some sealing may be necessary to fix that leak. You'd need to be there in heavy rain to see where it was leaking, as no water came in during some "normal" rain we had when I was last there.

Provisions on Site

Two aluminium washbasins, a hearth shovel and hand broom, a full-sized broom, a pick, a shovel, two bench seats, two spare louvre panes (one perspex), and four 3x3 wooden stakes.