Hunts Creek Hut

(Hunts Creek Hut: Photo Greg Ross 2009)

Maintenance Status

Hunts Hut and the access track to it from Kellys Creek in the Otira valley are designated as fully maintain. The Hut's proximity to Arthurs Pass and SH 73 means it gets relatively high levels of use on weekends and public holidays. Outside of these times however, there is a reasonable chance it will be empty. Hunts is one of the few more accessible huts in Central Westland where kiwi can still be heard around nightfall.

Location

Taipo catchment. Map BV20. Grid Ref: E1477550/ N5255780. Altitude 880m. Hunts Hut is located in Hunts Creek basin in a tussock clearing in the alpine scrub zone. Downstream from the Hut, Hunts Creek drops through an impressive, impassable gorge into the Taipo River. Upstream a short section of track leads over an old glacial moraine into the upper basin which slopes gently for several kilometres to the Creek's headwaters. A couple of high-level cols in the head provide access to the Gorgy Creek tops, Campbell Pass, and beyond. The peaks of the Barron and Hunts ranges ring the basin. The Hut makes for a fairly easy overnighter, or a stopover for longer tops journeys.

Access

The route to Hunts Hut starts at Kellys Creek on State Highway 73, 10 kms North of Otira. The tracked sections on this route were re-cut by DOC in March 2006. There is some windthrow from the winter storms of 2008, mostly on the last hour of the trail, and a few fresh slips. From the Kellys Creek carpark the route is a mix of track and river travel on the TL. Half an hour upstream the track leaves the riverbed and climbs steeply up and around a small gorge before dropping back into the Creek. River and track travel continues from here until 1/2 an hour below Hunt Saddle. The last section of track to the Saddle starts 100m up an open side creek around E1479400/ N5258720. It sidles just above Kellys Creek through montane and subalpine forest initially, then passes through an open area of red tussock and peat bog. The trail re-enters the forest just before crossing the Saddle, then sidles up the bush faces above the TR of Hunts Creek towards the basin. This section is uneven and rocky with lots of ups and downs and the track crosses two large screes before dropping into the basin. The Hut clearing is visible from most of the sidle, although the Hut itself only comes into view on the last 100m of track.

Type

Hunts is a standard NZFS four-bunk design built in the 1960's. Its original open fire was replaced fairly early on by a wood burner. You need to scrounge around a fair bit to find dry wood here and the high visitation rate means a constant stream of free-lunchers who are unaware of the protocol around replacing existing wood. Hunts has a toilet and a roof-fed watertank.

Condition

Hunts Hut is in good condition currently. In 2004 it was repainted and resealed, had some framing and a section of floor replaced, and new skylights and flue installed. The wood burner's grate has disintegrated and the flue cover has since vanished.

Routes

There is a reasonably good tops route over Kellys Range to Hunts Hut from Carroll Memorial Hut. The tops are flat with open tussock and numerous tarns and good campsites. There is a route cum rough trail of sorts that allows access from the tussock at the SW end of the Range down to the Kellys Creek track on Hunt Saddle. Aim for the two tarns on the western side of the ridge at E1477239/ N5258740 and 339/ 290 respectively. A rock gully leads down to the open tussock/ face above above the first tarn. From here follow the orange tape up a short steep climb onto the ridge dividing the tarns. Head up it 30m to a cairn then zig-zag around to the next tarn. Head East from here towards the large open swampy area North of point 935m and drop down the small creek draining it to the Hunts track, just East of the Saddle. The journey from Carroll Hut to Hunts Hut takes around 4 hours, or a bit longer in reverse.

There are a couple of high-level routes to Hunts from Otira over Barron Ridge for the more experienced. The first requires that you follow the pipeline up Goat Creek from SH 73. The track starts at the top of of the pipe and leads up onto a spur North East of Mt. Barron. This trail is not officially maintained but is occasionally trimmed by Gerard O'Malley, the owner of the Backpackers near Goat Creek. Sidle from the spur around and through the saddle between Mt. Barron and point 1629m. Sidle beneath Mt. Barron on the Hunts side in a SW direction acoss two large basins, then drop down the large scree that intersects the track just downstream of the Hut. The Hut is visble in fine weather from the top of the scree.

The track entrance for the second route is on Highway 73, on the Otira side of the railway underpass, just before the rubbish dump. This was given a good trim by DOC quite recently, but they are now considering dropping it off their official maintenance schedule. The track goes up onto the southern flanks of Mt. Barron. Sidle fronm the top of the track around the high basins of Holts Creek, staying South of the summit of Mt. Barron, onto the crest of the Range. The route from here to Hunts Hut is the same as the Goat Creek one.

Allow a full day and good conditions for both these routes. Ice axes and crampons may occasionally be necessary in winter and spring.

More experienced trampers, may want to check out some high-level alpine trips from Hunts Creek into the heads of Gorgy and Tumbledown Creeks, the upper Rolleston valley, Campbell Pass, and the Waimakariri. You can continue further along the Main Divide over a high col between spot heights l805m and 1801m (North of Mt. Campbell) to Harman Pass.

Access onto Hunts Ridge from Hunts Hut is relatively easy with a number of possible routes from here down into the Taipo valley. The most frequently mentioned in the Hunts hutbook is via Dry Creek. Mid Taipo and Julia huts can be reached using these routes.

There is an untracked route from Hunts Hut to the Kellys Creek car park via Barron Ridge. The crest of the Barron Range is accessed up the big scree used in the Goat Creek route. Sidle off the crest on the Otira side down onto and along a series of obvious high benches, in a NE direction to point 1359m. Continue down the spur from here to the Kellys/ Otira confluence. A short scrub-bash is necessary to get from the open tussock at 900m into more open montane forest below. It is a standard bush-bash from here the rest of the way down. The odd old blaze can be found on the ridge around point 615m. The last bit down to the car park is probably the worst on the route, due to dense stands of regenerating hardwoods. Allow 5-6 hours from Hunts Hut to the road.

Do not attempt to attempt to use Hunts Creek as a route down into the Taipo valley from Hunts Hut as the gorge is impassable.

Repairs

A new grate is required for the wood burner, and the missing flue cover needs replacing.

Provisions on Site

Three billies, one camp oven, one aluminium bucket, one small frypan, an axe, a slasher, a shovel, a broom, and a small hand brush and shovel. There are a few warratahs under the Hut.