Spence Hut / Spence Burn Bivouac

Spence Hut is a typical 2-bunk Takitimu hut. It lies at the forks of Spence Stream close to the bushline, on a small terrace on the true right of the stream, just below the forks. The site manages to catch the only spot of late afternoon winter's sun - very welcome! The hut was previously located a hundred-or-so meters upriver between the forks, but no sign of the former site could be seen when I visted.

The hut has two bunks on the end wall, and a large fireplace on the side. The fireplace has a mesh fireguard which does a reasonable job of keeping the sandfly population down. That said, though a few were around, the numbers were bearable - much fewer than at the lower Apurima Huts.

Many parties make the round trip up the north Spence Burn and over the saddle into the southern fork of the Apurima to return to the Dunrobin roadend via Apurima Forks Biv. Another loop trip is over the saddle to the Upper Wairaki and out via Upper / Lower Wairaki huts.