Top Wairoa Hut
Mount Richmond Forest Park
Top Wairoa hut (6 bunks, matresses, fire - limited scrubby firewood, river water) huddles amidst Manuka scrub above the north forks of the Wairoa River (left branch). It's a pleasent ex-forestry hut, and very welcome in the torrential rain in which I arrived. In wet weather a stream runs just behind the hut, but on dry days it may be necessary to descend 60m to the Wairoa for water.
The hut is linked by a good sidle track from Mid Wairoa Hut - though the ascent from the forks to the hut is not obvious: climb the scree to the ridge between the 2 rivers immediately above to forks. A good cut track leads over Mt Ellis to the Motueka River (left branch). For many parties, however, this is a base to explore the Red Hills to the south. This is an area of intense red and extremely abrasive rock, apparently a pile of boulders heaped into a range with no sign of bedrock beneath. A very different environment to the Richmond Ranges, and worth a visit - rough scrambling is involved.
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Owner
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Owner: DOC |
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Category
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Standard Hut |
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Sleeps
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Sleeps 6
6
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Facilities
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Toilet, Open fireplace |
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Water supply
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Tap or tank water |
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Getting there
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Wairoa Gorge Road: 17km. Track. 8 river crossings Mid Wairoa Hut: 7km, 3 hours. Good sidle track with 8 river crossings Hunters Hut: 10.5km. Track. Right Branch Wairoa Hut: 9.5km. Track Red Hills Hut: 21km, 8-14hrs. Alpine route over Red Hill to pt1749. The two small peaks south of Red Hill to pt1770 are very hard going, but easily avoided by dropping into hanging valley on west of ridge. A good broad ridge runs from pt1749 south to Red Hills Hut. |
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Unlocked
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This hut is unlocked and open to access. |
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Bookings
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No bookings — open access
No — open access
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Altitude
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800m |
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Mobile phone coverage
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No coverage |
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Maps
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NZTopo50-BR25
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