West Burn Hut | Mavora Lakes Conservation Park

West Burn Hut is mostly visited by those seated in boats on Lake Mavora. Meanwhile, most of the thousands of Te Araroa walkers on the other side of the lake are unaware of its existence.

It’s an old musterers’ hut that has been partially renovated, but still retains its historic charm, ie, the dirt floor and beach sapling structure for the hut and bunks.

It’s easy enough to wander around the side of the lake, either an old four-wheel-drive track or the lakeshore, but you need to go upstream to cross the Mararoa River on the marked track up to Forks Hut and then double back through the shoulder-high tussock.

category . . . basic huts/bivvies

hut fee . . . free

booking . . . not required

elevation . . . 620 m

bunks . . . 6 mattresses on bunks

built . . . mid-1920s ?

heating . . . open fire

water . . . from lake

toilet . . . longdrop