Koropuku (Big Tops) Hut

(Koropuku Hut: Photo Stephen Grossi 2008)

Maintenance Status

Koropuku (Big Tops) Hut has been designated as minimal maintenance. It is unlikely that the access track to Koropuku will be officially maintained, however it has been kept open and in relatively good condition by volunteers.

Location

Otehake River. Grid Ref: E1496542/ 5259291N. Map BV21. Altitude 845m. Koropuku Hut is located in the upper Koropuku Creek in the Otehake catchment of the Taramakau valley, within the Arthur's Pass boundary. There are views downriver to the Pfeifer Range and Otehake valley. Korupuku Hut was informally adopted some years back by Frank King and Honora Renwick of Christchurch. They kept the Hut maintained and homely and access track open and useable during a long period of zero maintenance by DOC. DOC has been back on the scene since 2002, but volunteer input is still likey to be integral to the preservation of the Hut and the route.

Koropuku has always been a low-use hut with 6-10 visits per year, although this has picked up noticably in recent times, possibly due to to it being profiled on this site and Frank King's Tramping Blog; tramping.typepad.com. Deer and chamois are regularly encountered in the area and on rare occasions Kiwi have been seen or heard near the Hut.

Access

Frank and Honora did some maintenance on the Koropuku track in early 2010. The route to Koropuku starts in the Taramakau valley at Aikens corner on state highway 73. From the car park head across the farm paddocks for 500-600m following the markers, through small gate to the Otira riverbed. Ford the Otira, usually mid-thigh depth at the wider spots, and head towards a large orange marker on opposite side around 1km away. If the Orira is there is a flood track down its TR from the Deception Footbridge back up SH 73 towards Otira. Its condition is probably poor judging by recent reports, and would add 2hrs to the trip.

From the large orange marker head past the shelter, either following the markers directly up the Taramakau, or staying close to the River on the 4WD track. The routes merge a little further on and about 100m before the the Pfeifer Creek confluence there a large wooden sign (not quite visible from the main valley track) indicating the start of the Lake Kaurapataka track. follow this acrosses and up the TR of Pfeifer Creek for 45min to the Lake. Halfway along the Lake is a small cairn in the middle of the track indicates the turn off to a marvelous lakeside camping spot. From here the track continues along the lake to the turnoff to the Otehake Valley and hot pools.

Continue up the Taramakau Valley track which drops down a steep creek bed into the Otehake River. Head up the TL of the Otehake for about 100m and ford (if the river is high you can use the swingbridge with the track to it directly below in the riverbed). Just downstream of the ford on the TR is a large orange marker, behind which is a small clearing. The start of the Koropuku track is behind here and lead to the base of a spur. The track climbs the spur to bush edge and is marked with mostly red and occasionally white permolat. There is no water from the river to the 1150m level, so carry some with you. Once in the open (around the 1050m mark) there are commanding views of Lake Kaurapataka, and Mts. Alexander and Pfeifer. From an old dried up tarn marked with a cairn a cut path travels South along a bench for a short distance. It then climbs up a series of small terraces marked with cairns and and a couple of posts a large tarn at 1495408E/ 5260491N. Continue South along the bench (marked with cairns) to the tarns East of spot height 1259m. There is a scree Sut south of these and creek that drops steeply into the Koropuku valley.

Drop down the gut keeping to the TR until past a large rock outcrop and continue down the creek to the top of a series of waterfalls. A marked trail enters the bush on the TL and continues down a steep dry gut before rejoining the creek. The track eventually leaves the creek and follows its TL down through beech forest. At around 850m a the track turns and sidles upstream toward the Hut. After 400m it drops onto flatter terrain eventually emerging in a clearing named "The Orchard." It is 150m from here to the Hut. Allow 7-9 hours to reach Koropuku Hut from Aikens corner.

No commercial chopper flights are allowed in to Koropuku due to it being inside the National Park.

Type

Koropuku Hut is a standard NZFS 4-bunk design, built March 1964 by D. Green, W. Johnson, and WRF (probably Ray Forsyth) of the NZFS. The Hut is lined. Water is from a small stream near the Hut and Koropuku Creek is not far if you want a dip. The hut was painted and a small door porch added in 2002. A new long drop toilet was recently put in by DOC and two new sheets of clearlight put in the roof in 2004. There is a nice lush front lawn with room for up to 3 tents. Behind the hut there is a small fireplace against the side of a large boulder.

Condition

Koropuku Hut is in good condition. The piles appear to be original and untreated with no concrete, but are sound. The bearers and joists are in excellent condition. The SW corner of the Hut has had some minor repairs, a short section of bearer removed, and 2 or 3 floorboards replaced. The floor at base of west wall shows signs of water getting in, but there is no visible damage. There is a small rat hole chewed in bottom of door.

Routes

There is a route to Koropuku over the tops from Townsend Hut with acces via the head of the Koropuku Valley. The upper Creek looks to be relatively easy travel most of the way.

It is possible to follow Koropuku Creek down through the its Gorge into the Otehake, however the creek levels need to be low to do this. There are some waterfalls that must be sidled around and it is pretty slow going in places More deatiled route notes can be found on www.tramper.co.nz.

The tops around the head of the Koropuke look fairly benign and with potential for tops traverses further up the Taramakau, or into the Minchin and Poulter valleys.

Repairs

None presumably, currently.

Provisions on Site

3 billies and 2 lids, a 1 billy hanger, 1 aluminum wash basin, 2 plastic buckets, 2 bench seats, 2 seats made from wooden crates with sacking for cushions, a small kitchen table made from leftover hut materials, 4 metal candle holders, an old first aid kit and manual, a plastic brush and shovel, a hearth brush and shovel, 1 Forest service food bin, 1 axe plus spare handle, 1 broom plus spare handle, 1 spade, 1 slasher, 1 flat file, 1 rasping file, a large shovel handle, a makeshift ladder, 1 spare louvre glass, an assortment of nails, half a roll of malthoid, a handful of white permolat markers, a small handmade food safe, a wall-mounted map of APNP, a few dish cloths, teatowels and scotchbrite pads, a clothes line, metal coat hooks, a wall mounted can opener, 1 potato peeler, 1 plastic coffee mug with lid, a small wall mounted mirror, a 4-slice toasting rack for fire, 1 cheese grater, 1 egg beater, a wooden spoon, emergency underpants, 1 game of tiddlywinks, a small library of reading material, a working guitar. Under the Hut there is some spare iron and roof flashings, 1 sheet of clearlight, 5 lengths of decking timber, 2 lengths of 100 x 50 H3, and various offcuts.