Amazing natural Hot Springs alert!! If you can manage the 18-19km walk to this spot, you'll be treated with this amazing backdrop whilst chilling in probably New Zealand's most epic hot spring!!

Location at: Welcome Flat Hut, nestled in the stunning Westland Tai Poutini National Park on the West Coast, it has 31 bunk beds along with a Sierra Room for groups of up to four. It's a serviced hut providing basic amenities like gas cookers and shared toilets.

Bookings are required year-round, and Backcountry Hut Passes are accepted from May to September. Hikers must walk the challenging Copland Track to reach this remote hut.

Prices:

Hut: Adult (18+ years): $30 per night. Child/youth (5–17 years): $15 per night

Sierra Room (sole occupancy) fees: $145 per night (sleeps 1–4 persons)

Prices/conditions may change: https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/west-coast/places/westland-tai-poutini-national-park/things-to-do/huts/welcome-flat-hut/

Reviews:

'We just walked to Welcome Flat as a family of 4 for 2 nights. Took us 7 hrs each way. Parking at Copland Track carpark great. No Kea so no car damage. Heard a few Kea higher up but saw nothing in the carpark. Track is well marked, a few boulder sections next to the river where the sandflies hang out. A couple of impressive swing bridges to navigate. We stayed in the Sierra room. Own kitchen with pots and pans etc, fireplace, hot shower. Hot pools are great. Don't put your head under or step in the stream that feeds them as the water is much hotter! All in all amazing walk with stunning views. Highly recommend it!!' - T Gilmore, Google

'If you're worried about doing this hike due to fitness levels - fear not! Start early to give yourself plenty of time and you'll be fine. Myself and my partner are generally on the lower end of 'moderate' fitness levels and we completed this hike in 8-9 hours. This was at fairly slow and steady pace with plenty of breaks. The hut has natural spring water on site, so you can drink the water from the taps without having to treat it. This was great for us as we drank more water than expected, plus you don't have to carry as much weight with you! You will have no phone service for the majority of this walk, so be sure to pack a first aid kit etc incase of injures. The incline at the end is gradual, so we didn't find it too difficult. We saw lots of people hiking without poles, but we'd definitely recommend bringing some as portions of the track have active landslides and slippery rocks. The rooms are spacious, and you can even book a private room if you book in advance. There are flush toilets as well as lights, so this felt fancy compared to some huts we've stayed in. The hot pools make the long walk worth it, and they were a lot bigger than most people expect. There are three main pools with various temperatures, and they never felt busy. The pools are naturally muddy/gritty at the bottom, so bring some jandals if you can fit them in. We even managed to see some glow worms on the short walk to the pools from the hut. There are sandflies around, but we didn't notice them too much. The walk back is mostly downhill, so you can allow yourself some extra time in the morning for a dip in the hot pools during sunrise. An overall amazing experience.' - Caris, Google

Note: Weather conditions can affect track accessibility (especially river crossings), so check ahead before embarking on your adventure.

Handy sites:

https://planmywalk.nz/huts/welcome-flat-hut

https://tramping.net.nz/huts-coast/welcome-flat-hut-copland-track#

https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/west-coast/places/westland-tai-poutini-national-park/things-to-do/huts/welcome-flat-hut/

Video by: @gracehitstheroad (tiktok) https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSMrN2NVq/ shared with permission