Belltown Mananui Hut | Kahurangi National Park
The structure for this hut was built in 2001 next to Drain Creek. It was disassembled and relocated by helicopter in March 2022 from about a kilometre further up the valley. The hut had been built on a slip zone that started moving.
The new site is sunnier but will look like a logging camp for a while as no soil remains around the hut. A huge verandah has been built with a sink outside. New corrugated Coloursteel roofing and wall cladding. Inside is a long stainless steel bench, a decent ply table, and a couple of new windows, so it’s now filled with light.
The surrounding forest was damaged by ex-Cyclone Ita back in 2014.
It’s mostly a flat walk from the Wangapeka roadend carpark in about three hours, so it’s a good Little Adventure for teenagers.
category . . . standard hut
hut fee . . . 1 hut ticket or backcountry hut pass, free to camp
elevation . . . 210 m
bunks . . . 10 mattresses on two sleeping platforms
built . . . 2001, relocated and fully renovated March 2022
heating . . . wood burner
water . . . 1500 litre rainwater tank, with a tap over a sink on the porch
toilet . . . longdrop
facilities . . . picnic tables
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