Child friendly rating: 4 stars
Distance: 5km
Signposted Time: 1 hr 30 mins
Bookings Required? No, but permission required to cross land.
Suitable for Winter? Yes (If you don't mind wet feet)
4wd needed? Yes if you want to park off-road
The Track:
This hut is on private Brooksdale Station land, but they are generally happy for trampers to use the hut. You do need to phone to gain permission first though. (Stu Gunn: 027 6511 422 or Hamish: 027 3583 809)
If you have a 4wd, you can hire the key for the gate at the start of the track for a koha. (Suggested amount is $10pp at the sign in book) This will mean you can park off the road, as parking on the main highway overnight is not considered safe.
Please note when they tell you that the key is in the red shed, they mean the small house/cottage, not the shed itself.
The walk is very easy. In fact I would say it's one of the easiest overnight trips in Canterbury.
However, the hut is not the best quality hut. It's very dated, which would not be an issue, but it was very mouse infested, and this seems to be an ongoing issue. The mice luckily stuck to themselves (Unlike some huts mice which are used to people and will try get into all your food!).
The track is pretty obvious till you diverge off the 4wd track and need to follow the river. I would recommend having some navigational skills here. Follow the river branch with the power poles. Take a topo map or a GPS with you. You do simply follow the river, however please don’t follow the wrong branch of the river.
Recommendations: Visit as a day trip, or sleep in a tent if your worried about the mice. It is a great easy walk that even toddlers can do most of. Don't visit after heavy rain, as the rivers will be in flood. Shoulder season means the mountains are covered in snow, and can make for stunning views.
Visiting in summer is best if still a beginner as you don’t want your wet boots to get cold and uncomfortable from the river crossings. We did manage to keep dry boots the whole way with me carrying kids across to keep their boots dry too, but in heavier flows this would not be possible.
