Basics for visitors (and any new tramper)

From everything I have read so far about the current system for huts, it appears it is the best one. You're always going to get some inconsiderate people who would rather take than give back, but, call me naive, I would like to think that most people are trying to do the right thing and give back to DOCs and other similar departments. FWIW I will have a tent with me when i travel as I will be staying in huts and my tent.

Just to clarify TheWanderer. You seem to think that you will be buying a hut pass which applies just for the Waihaha Hut. This is not the case. For all huts, except 'booked huts' and Great Walk huts, you just buy hut tickets which apply for all the other hundreds of huts. Some huts require one ticket per night, some 2 or 3, or even none depending on their standard. Actually if a person has already put their ticket into the 'ticket box' I cannot prove that they have done so anyway. They could just lie and say they had done so. Personally I prefer to stay on good terms with whoever is in a hut. After all, I am there to enjoy myself. Thus I would not dream of asking to see other's hut passes or tickets. If a person is deliberately not paying, well, so be it. No doubt they have a reason which may not agree with my beliefs but hey, we are all different. I had a good mate who never bought tickets as he remembered the 'good old days' when there was no charge (as I do too). We just agreed to differ and retained our friendship.

"Actually if a person has already put their ticket into the 'ticket box' I cannot prove that they have done so anyway. They could just lie and say they had done so." I guess they could produce the other half of the ticket, which they should already have written today's date on by the time of posting the rest of the ticket in the box, but you're right that it's very tenuous. (Sample ticket: http://www.bivouac.co.nz/doc-adult-hut-ticket.html ) Carry around a blank ticket or two and, if ever challenged, it's easy enough to claim that you hadn't yet gotten around to filling it in but were going to do so before leaving. Plenty of people don't get around to depositing tickets until they've nearly left, so it'd hardly be unusual.

Unfortunately theres the odd hut that doesn't have a ticket box.Top Forks hut in Mt Aspiring NP being one. I popped into DOC,Makarora afterwards with a bunch of tickets for them. Its about doing the right thing....

" Plenty of people don't get around to depositing tickets until they've nearly left, so it'd hardly be unusual." Often thats what we do even though Im on a annual pass. Even to the point of when some of us were inside and some out at a serviced hut noting down who slept where and how they paid I was on a pass but slept in a fly but my pass didnt transfer to a hut user. Correct procedure though is as stated at arrival place stub in tin and the rest of the ticket on your pack. Once youve done that though you cant give up your place in the hut even if you have alternate options without loosing the cost of the ticket. I always carry my pass but as its well buried in thew pack I also have a plastic key ring on the outside of my pack containing the pass no and expiry date.

@deepriver Yeah I thought that might have been the case re: the ticket being for other huts as well as Waihaha. But it's the only hut I'll be staying in at this stage. Every other place I'll be resting in is either a camp ground or a cheap motel.

I forgot there are 2 parts to a hut ticket. Never bought one in my life as I just automatically buy a hut pass every year.