Dangerous DOC bunks

Hmmm. This brings up a whole nest of worms when it comes to bunk standards. What about 3 tier bunks where the top one is so close to the roof that it is impossible to get into. What about bunks with no ladder at all. What about bunks where there is an enormous dead rat under the matress that you don't see until you lift the matress in the morning. What about maori bunks where you are forced to sleep next to ugly, smelly snoring people. What about when there are so many people in the hut that you are forced to sleep on the floor. I think i would prefer my tent any day. I saw an advert recently where you can do the Routeburn and sleep in a queen size bed with an en-suite and floor to ceiling window of the view of the lake. Maybe that is the standard to come. You also wonder why a night helecopter rescue was required for a mere broken arm. When our kids broke the odd limb it wasn't something requiring urgent medical attention, it was just a matter of going to hospital as soon as reasonably possible. Mind you, I mustn't critisise, I am sure the helecopter pilot and paramedic would have assessed the risks and benefits and made the right decision.

This reminds me of a rant I once read in the middle Goulter hut book. Someone rolled from the top bank and was fuming about it in the book.... Then a couple of other people made sarcastic replies. Was funnier in real life then trying to explain it now. Shame the writer probably would never read the replies.

I came accross this on the Hollyford track i think it was the demon trail hut bunks with no ladder to get to the top bunk how do you get to the top bunk and how do you get down,a disaster waiting to happen

It was also Abel Tasman, so quite possibly a DOC ranger just phoned in the accident as procedure and a helicopter was offered.

It gets more damn stupid every year. A note left in a Heaphy track hut suggested strongly that DOC should fill in more pot holes and also cover tree routes that may trip someone up. At Haast it was suggested that toilets be errected on river flats as it was not nice having to dig a hole or hide behind a tree. These people should simply go tramping around Hagely Park.

Re read opps I mean tree Roots

Personally, I hate top bunks with no guard rail, and I would never dream of building something so potentially hazardous. It's all very well being exposed to risk when you're awake, but it's a little unfair when you're asleep IMO.

I've stayed away from the bunks with 30cm of head-room, but besides that the only DOC bunks I've felt a little uncertain on have been springy bunks in a few of the older huts that I thought could be in danger of toppling over if someone pushed them too hard. This may not be realistic. I do wonder how many people actually fall off and is this the only child who's ever fallen off a bunk ladder sparking an investigation? The case in the linked article was a child, and perhaps children simply have special supervision considerations in the same way that you probably shouldn't leave a baby sleeping in a place where someone might roll on them. I suppose if Great Walks get so many people, and DOC obviously knows children use them (child and infant price tickets for specific huts, etc), there's a case for a reasonable amount of consideration for extra safety steps along those lines. I'm still puzzled about what the Ministry of Economic Development has to do with investigating an eleven year old falling out of a DOC bunk. It's the main thing that bothers me about all of this.

I usually try to pull rank as trip leader or maybe because I am approaching senior citizenship in order to claim a bottom bunk. Either that or I head outside to a tent or a verandah. The reason I dislike top bunks is not because of the ladder but just because someone will stoke up the fire and it is just too damn hot up there.