Mid Trent Hut

Maintenance Status
Mid Trent Hut is currently fully maintained by the Department of Conservation. There are no maintained tracks to the Hut. It's all river travel, a mix of open flats, gravel and the odd small bush detour.
Location
Altitude 520m. Grid Ref E1509429/ N5273062. NZ Topomap 50 BU21 Haupiri. Mid Trent Hut is located in the Trent valley, part of a river system that feeds into the Ahaura catchment. Downriver from the Hut the valley is mostly easy travel with big open flats. Upriver the river narrows and passes through a gorge before opening out again in its upper reaches. The forest here is a mix of red and silver beech, generally transitioning to pure silver beech at higher altitudes. The doesn't get many visits due to its long distance from the road end. Hunters and fishers often fly in although the former don't seem to have dented the deer population. There is abundant food supply on the grassy flats and plenty of fresh sign to indicate this.
Access
Access to Mid Trent starts at the public car park at the end of the Waikiti Downs road on the TL of the Ahaura River. A 4WD track is followed for 3.5kms to the Waiheke/ Tutaekuri confluence, the Tutaekuri forded here, and the river flats on its TR followed for 5km up to the Trent Confluence. It's a 20-minute side-trip up to the relatively new Tutaekuri Hut (6 bunks) from the junction. Continue up the Trent, crossing and recrossing to get the best line up the river flats, which are grassy and easy travel. After around 5km the river narrows and needs to be crossed a number of times to avoid bush detours. Low river flows are essential for this this to be possible. The valley opens up again after this and travel relatively straightforward to the Hut which is in a small clearing tucked in against the forest edge. While the walking is generally easy it's a long plod up from Waikiti Downs, some 18 or so kilometres. Allow 7-8 hours in good conditions. Don't attempt this route if the rivers are high.
The route from Top Trent Hut down to Mid Trent is untracked river travel and passes through the Trent Gorge. It is a fine-weather-route only. The gorge section is said to be enjoyable (on a good day maybe) but involves at least fifty crossings and river edge wading through a series of tight little sections. One comment in the Mid Trent hutbook mentioned "nipple deep" crossings. Allow 4-5 hours from Mid to Top Trent.
Mid Trent Hut is currently fully maintained by the Department of Conservation. There are no maintained tracks to the Hut. It's all river travel, a mix of open flats, gravel and the odd small bush detour.
Location
Altitude 520m. Grid Ref E1509429/ N5273062. NZ Topomap 50 BU21 Haupiri. Mid Trent Hut is located in the Trent valley, part of a river system that feeds into the Ahaura catchment. Downriver from the Hut the valley is mostly easy travel with big open flats. Upriver the river narrows and passes through a gorge before opening out again in its upper reaches. The forest here is a mix of red and silver beech, generally transitioning to pure silver beech at higher altitudes. The doesn't get many visits due to its long distance from the road end. Hunters and fishers often fly in although the former don't seem to have dented the deer population. There is abundant food supply on the grassy flats and plenty of fresh sign to indicate this.
Access
Access to Mid Trent starts at the public car park at the end of the Waikiti Downs road on the TL of the Ahaura River. A 4WD track is followed for 3.5kms to the Waiheke/ Tutaekuri confluence, the Tutaekuri forded here, and the river flats on its TR followed for 5km up to the Trent Confluence. It's a 20-minute side-trip up to the relatively new Tutaekuri Hut (6 bunks) from the junction. Continue up the Trent, crossing and recrossing to get the best line up the river flats, which are grassy and easy travel. After around 5km the river narrows and needs to be crossed a number of times to avoid bush detours. Low river flows are essential for this this to be possible. The valley opens up again after this and travel relatively straightforward to the Hut which is in a small clearing tucked in against the forest edge. While the walking is generally easy it's a long plod up from Waikiti Downs, some 18 or so kilometres. Allow 7-8 hours in good conditions. Don't attempt this route if the rivers are high.
The route from Top Trent Hut down to Mid Trent is untracked river travel and passes through the Trent Gorge. It is a fine-weather-route only. The gorge section is said to be enjoyable (on a good day maybe) but involves at least fifty crossings and river edge wading through a series of tight little sections. One comment in the Mid Trent hutbook mentioned "nipple deep" crossings. Allow 4-5 hours from Mid to Top Trent.
Type
Mid Trent is a New Zealand Forest Service S81, four-bunk design, originally with an open fire, built in the 1960s. It has louvre windows; The original bunks were netting on wooden frames with mattresses. DOC did a major overhaul of the hut, essentially a rebuild, in 2011. It was lined and insulated and a woodburner installed in the SW corner. A new toilet was installed. Water is from the river. There is good wood supply currently and the hut get very cosy very quickly with the burner going.
Condition
Mid Trent Hut is in good condition currently.
Mid Trent is a New Zealand Forest Service S81, four-bunk design, originally with an open fire, built in the 1960s. It has louvre windows; The original bunks were netting on wooden frames with mattresses. DOC did a major overhaul of the hut, essentially a rebuild, in 2011. It was lined and insulated and a woodburner installed in the SW corner. A new toilet was installed. Water is from the river. There is good wood supply currently and the hut get very cosy very quickly with the burner going.
Condition
Mid Trent Hut is in good condition currently.

Routes
There are great tops in the Trent catchment, which when accessed are good travel with tarns and camping spots aplenty. Access varies in difficulty. Often the silver beech forest transitions directly to open tussock, while in other places there is a significant alpine scrub band. Creek access varies also. Some are negotiable all the way up, others impassable due to bluffs and waterfalls. The bush varies from open understory to dense jungle.
Crossings of the divide to Harper Pass are possible via Mt Drake and there is purportedly an old track from the tops directly down to the Pass.
The range on the TL of the Trent can be traversed to Waikiti Hut via the spur on the TL of Graf Creek. The bottom of the spur is steep, and the bush dense and not easy travel. At around the 900m contour it opens onto an area of stunted scrub and open patches which is relatively easy to travel through. From here there is a straightforward traverse of Pt 1420m past a large tarn NE of Pt 1390m and down onto a bench above a prominent scree at E1506885/ N5277338. The scree is steep and active but gives rapid access into a small creek that can be followed with odd brief bush detour down to the Waikiti. From here it is around an hour of relatively easy river travel to the Hut. Allow 6-8 hours for the crossing in good conditions.
Repairs Needed.
None currently.
Provisions on Site.
An axe, a shovel, a broom, a hearth brush and shovel, a stainless-steel bucket, an aluminium wash pan, a first aid kit, and a form seat.
There are great tops in the Trent catchment, which when accessed are good travel with tarns and camping spots aplenty. Access varies in difficulty. Often the silver beech forest transitions directly to open tussock, while in other places there is a significant alpine scrub band. Creek access varies also. Some are negotiable all the way up, others impassable due to bluffs and waterfalls. The bush varies from open understory to dense jungle.
Crossings of the divide to Harper Pass are possible via Mt Drake and there is purportedly an old track from the tops directly down to the Pass.
The range on the TL of the Trent can be traversed to Waikiti Hut via the spur on the TL of Graf Creek. The bottom of the spur is steep, and the bush dense and not easy travel. At around the 900m contour it opens onto an area of stunted scrub and open patches which is relatively easy to travel through. From here there is a straightforward traverse of Pt 1420m past a large tarn NE of Pt 1390m and down onto a bench above a prominent scree at E1506885/ N5277338. The scree is steep and active but gives rapid access into a small creek that can be followed with odd brief bush detour down to the Waikiti. From here it is around an hour of relatively easy river travel to the Hut. Allow 6-8 hours for the crossing in good conditions.
Repairs Needed.
None currently.
Provisions on Site.
An axe, a shovel, a broom, a hearth brush and shovel, a stainless-steel bucket, an aluminium wash pan, a first aid kit, and a form seat.