Crow Hut (Ruahine Ranges)

Crow Hut (6 bunk, Pioneer stove, river water) is a standard forestry hut in the western Ruahine Ranges. The hut is on a small flat about 10m above the Kawhatau River on the true left. The hut flat is hewn out of the usual unburnable Ruahine scrub, but the faces above are beech so you can at least get a warm fire going.

Whilst the hut is only 6km upriver from Kawhatau Base, usual access from Kawhatau is over either the Hikurangi of Mokai Patea tops. A swingbridge (yes one of those you love so much with nothing but the hand-wires to stop you falling off the side) crosses the river at the hut providing high-water access to both ranges.

Note that when heading to Wakelings or the Mokai Patea, your are kindly provided with a swingbridge, but then expected to sidle through the river to get round a bluff before making your ascent.