Child friendly rating: 5 stars

Distance: 1km or 3.5km

Signposted time: 15 minutes or 1-2 hours

Bookings Required? Yes

Suitable in Winter? Yes but you'd be warmer in your tent

Camping Available? Yes - paid campsite

4wd required? No

Parking:

You can either park as close to the intersection of Repeater Road and A.R.A Road as you can, or park at the Wairoa Dam Loop Track carpark.

The Track:

The shortest most direct way to get to the hut is from the locked gate near the start of Repeater Road (near intersection with A.R.A. road. Walk along Repeater Road for approx. 1km to the side-track to the campsite which is 100m off Repeater Road.

The more exciting way is by parking at the Wairoa Dam Loop Track carpark, and taking the right branch of the Wairoa Dam Loop Track - though obviously both ways will get you there given it's a loop track, but the right branch is shorter.

This track is thin - generally not wide enough to walk holding a childs hand, but is not technical and is well worn.

The full loop from the carpark is signposted as 6.5km and 3 hours.

Hut:

The hut is very basic with 4 bunks, a dirt floor, and no dopr.

Same as the other huts at the Hunua Range campgrounds, you don't book the hut, you book the campsite itself, and then the beds in the hut are first in first served.

Recommendations:

If you park on the side of the road near the locked gate at the start of Repeater Road, this is the closest to get to hut in the Hunua Ranges. However with the option of taking the Wairoa Dam Loop Track it's also got a more exciting access than just road walking which can be boring. So the loop track is a great slightly more 'backcountry' option.