Tramping in New Zealand hut system · Hut System in Tramping in New Zealand
All Destinations | Europe | Asia | North America | Africa | South America | Oceania | Hotels
Hut System in Tramping in New Zealand
Hut System in Tramping in New Zealand
Many of the national parks have basic accommodation called huts, which range from a basic roof over your head with large bunk spaces and a "long drop" toilet, to the deluxe huts on the Milford Track with individual bunks and flush toilets (one of which has electric lighting).
The hut system is one of the treasures of the New Zealand backcountry. Usually huts are spaced a day's walk apart, and they can be found on most tracks and in all of larger tracts of native bush. Many of them date back to the 1960's and 70's when the Forest Service, as it was then known, built accommodation for government deer cullers in the remote bush areas, and linked the huts via a system of tracks.
There are two main classes of huts. Back country huts and great walks huts. The back country huts are very basic but also very cheap. Back country huts range in price from $0 to $15 per person per night and you can get an annual back country hut pass for $122 (33% increase). The great walks huts range in price from $10 up to $35 per person per night. Great Walk huts usually have heating and cooking facilities, often have warden present, and are generally of a higher standard than other huts.
For most huts there is no booking system, and bunks are allocated on a first come, first served basis. Occasionally on busy weekends you may find the huts full, but the general ethic with huts is that nobody is ever turned away, and even if the bunks are all full you should feel welcome to sleep on the floor, porch, or table rather than spend a night out under the stars.
Huts are a great place to socialise with other trampers and meet genuine kiwis, and more often than not food and stories are shared long into the evening.
Back country huts are often maintained by tramping clubs on a volunteer basis whereas DOC tend to maintain most of the great walks huts. Please treat the huts with respect as they are offered to enable people to access the national parks and no one is paid to clean up after you.
It's a good idea to sign the visitors book that you will find in most huts. If you get lost, it helps narrow down where you last were.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Tramping in New Zealand
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Tramping in New Zealand - updated Apr 2024
SAVE up to 75% on Last Minute deals! Search for discount Tramping in New Zealand hotels, motels, apartments, hostels, guest accommodations and vacation resorts. Book now and pay at the hotel. Instant email confirmation!
>>> SEARCH FOR DEALS <<<
WHERE TO TRAVEL NEXT IN 2020
Tramping in New Zealand Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.