Kohutara Bivvy | Ka Whata Tu o Rakihouia/Clarence Conservation Park
A little-visited, renovated bivvy that has new bunks, door, and interior paint job. Super neat and clean. Okay for two inhabitants, but more people would be a real squeeze.
The lack of visitors might be due to the surprisingly difficult access. The day starts with a 1200 m climb up the Muzzle Station farm road, and then cross country to the top of Point 1354. From there continue down the same ridge to the north almost to the next saddle where a series of markers guide you around some bluffs along the ridge. You eventually get back on the main ridge and peel off before Point 967 down an obvious ridge that has a scarcity of shrubbery. Then you can see the bivvy way below, but head down the slope to get access to another small ridge that takes you to the start of a cut track through the matagouri that has a few faded ribbon markers. So the final approach is from the north. You don’t see the hut again until you are right on it.
Plenty of dense matagouri to hinder progress via other routes. Note that the Kohutara River has a major waterfall and you still have to climb 100s of metres to the ridge to get around the high bluffs.
Note this is not the destination for inexperienced trampers as the route has little in the way of markers, and it’s not always obvious on the ground. Plenty of speargrass and matagouri for the unwary. There are many little ridges around that will lead you elsewhere, into those spiky bushes and bluffs. Great country for goats.
category . . . basic hut
hut fee . . . free
elevation . . . 725 m
bunks . . . 2 mattresses in bunk
built . . . 1950s
heating . . . none
water . . . from 100 litre rainwater barrel
toilet . . . none
← Hidden Hut, Wye River Kowhai Hut | Ka Whata Tu o Rakihouia Conservation Park →