Healey Spur Hut
(Healey Spur Hut looking out to the coast: Photo Simon Johnson 2004)
Maintenance status
Healey Spur is designated as
minimal maintenance. The track to it is no longer officially maintained,
but has been kept open and in reasonably good
condition in recent years by volunteers. It is currently in OK shape, but starting to overgrow again.
Location
Mikonui catchment. Map BV18. Grid Ref:
E1429870/ N5231505. Altitude 1170m.
Healey Hut is located on a
tussock bench above the TL of Healey Creek in the Mikonui valley. It
can be accessed in a day from the roadend and has fabulous
views out over the frontal ranges to the Tasman Sea. The tops
above the Hut provide access to a Galena Ridge and tract of remote
alpine wilderness backing the
Whitcombe, Tuke and Waitaha valleys.
Access
The track up to Healy Hut from the Mikonui River flats is long and steep in places.
It was recut by volunteers in 2005 but is beginning to
get overgrown again. It was given another light
pruning and cruise-taping in 2011. Some of the windthrow lower down from the 2008 storms
was also cleaned up.
2WD access is from SH6 via the Totara Valley Road over a low bush saddle to Mikonui Flat.
It is half an hour's walk upriver from the roadend to Mikonui Flat Hut (6 bunks with a woodburner), and another
20 minutes from here up to the start of the Healey track.
The entrance is on the bush edge of the river flat
about 100m upriver from a dry shingle fan.
The track ascends a rib between two creeks, then up a steep face
onto Healey Spur. There are several major ups and
downs in the alpine scrub zone. Toi toi and flax crowd
the track in several places here and the old cruise tape is getting brittle and falling off.
At the tussock line (around E1429500/ N5231925) the ridge flattens and
short wooden stakes with permolat lead in a SE direction from here
down to the bench where the Hut is. Many of the stakes have fallen over and they would not be visible in snow.
In poor visiblity the Hut may be difficult to locate without GPS. A moderately fit party should be able to reach
Healey from the roadend in
5-6 hours.
Type
Healey Spur is a standard NZFS, 4-bunk design built in the 1960's. It was
lined internally in the early 80's. There is no form of heating or toilet.
Water is from a few small tarns and
waterholes in the surrounding peat bog. The small stream marked next to the Hut on the map
is usually dry, and obtaining water at the Hut could
be an issue during long dry spells.
Condition
Healy Spur Hut is in good condition currently. It was painted,
resealed, and provided with new (fireproof!) mattresses by DOC during the summer of 2003/4. There is a
leak that is coming on the hinge side of the door, and water is also being blown in under door flashing
is ponding under the first bunk.
There may also be a very slight leak coming in at the top of the skylight section although this
is hard to pin point with condensation occuring also. Some of the paint
has flaked off on the outside West wall.
Routes
Healey Spur provides access to Galena Ridge and a number of remote
locations beyong. A
short razorback section on Healy Spur just before the last step up onto Galena Ridge
can be traversed with care by those with a good head for heights. The alternative
is to sidle up the tussock faces on the Healey Creek side beneath it, although taking a direct line
alll the way from Healey Hut is
not possible due to a deep slot just East of the Hut. It is neccessary to
climb up to the 1500m mark on the Spur, then drop
back down onto the sloping tussock faces beneath the razorback.
Galena Ridge is traversable in both directions
from the top of Healey Spur.
Mt. Bowen and Mikonui
Biv can be accessed to the East, but requires a sidle
on tussck faces above the Cropp basin to get under the obvious (remarkable) vertical pitch on the
Dickson Pass side of Remarkable Peak. The ridge dropping in a
SE direction from the flat area West of Remarkable
Peak provides a good start point for the sidle, or easy access into the Cropp Basin if followed down.
There is a steep rib leading up from Dickson pass onto Mt. Bowen
which if icy in winter and spring, would requires ice axes and maybe crampons. Allow a full day's travel
from Healey Hut to Mikonui Biv.
The section of Galena Ridge from Healey Spur to Mt. Beaumont
is reasonably straightforward. There is one exposed notch on the Ridge just
before the col West of Beaumont, which requires a bit of downclimbing. The
most direct route to Tuke
Hut from Healey Hut is
down the SW ridge of point 1974m. The spur borders the TR of a hanging basin
whose side creek that enters the Tuke upstream of Tuke Hut.
The route down from the lip of the basin is from a flat tussock bench on the TR
of the waterfall.
A small
gap in the bluffs at the end of the bench (around E1428665/ N5227080) provides access to a steepish rib that drops
down into the Tuke.
Tuke Hut is visble directly below the bluffs here. Drop off the rib further down into the
small creek that flows past the Hut. Sidle out of the TR of the creek and continue down
the tussock faces to the Hut.
The views from Mt.
Beaumont are superb. The old wooden trig
on the summit has been sculpted
and polished by wind and ice into a beautiful work of art.
It is easy travel from Beaumont around to spot
height 1870m above Ivory Lake and down the ridge
on its TR to Ivory Lake
Hut. Another route from 1870m takes you
in a SE direction down the
faces between Watson and Stag Creeks and provides access to
Top Waitaha.
From Mt. Beaumont it is easy travel down the Cropp Brow to where a maintained track
leads down Steadman Brow to Price Flat in the Whitcombe. This was last recut in 2010 and it takes around two hours to get
from the
scrubline down to the Price
Flat swingbridge.
A track down from Healey Hut into Healey Creek marked on the older maps was never maintained by NZFS
after they built the Hut. The
start of this can be located with a bit of hunting around at the NW end of the bench on which the Hut is sited. The
permolat peters out 100m down a steep spur and below this dense alpine scrub and bluffs with no further trace
of the track, make for tough going.
Repairs needed:
It would be a challenge to keep the water from blowing under the door
given the strength of the winds up there.
A porch would be the best solution. Otherwise additional flashings for the outside door jambs and some batons
to close off the rain-bearing wind might help.
The louvre handle needs
replacing on East-facing window. The tie-downs need tightening, and the outside West wall needs repainting. A
water tank and loo would be useful additions. The track is now in fairly urgent need of a trim.
Provisions
on Site
A Shovel, a broom, a basin, a hearth brush
and shovel, two bench seats, two spare louvre panes, a frypan, and two plastic buckets.
