Camp Creek Hut
The place
Basic 6-bunk back-country hut in the Otira-Kopara Forest Conservation Area (Ahaura River - Lake Brunner catchments, West Coast, South Island, New Zealand). No fee, no booking: first come, first served. Located about 19 km south of Moana (toward Christchurch) on Lake Brunner Road between Inchbonnie and Rotomanu, just north of Lake Poerua. The hut is 3 km from the start of the Camp Creek Route. Facilities: 6 bunks, heating, mattresses, non-flush toilet, tap water (untreated — boil first). Former research station: a comfortable lockwood cottage with three-tier bunks. Notable feature: an outdoor bathtub heated by a wood fire! "Expert" route: 2 h 30 for 3 km / 750 m ascent. Dangerous river crossings and waterfalls; backcountry experience required. The Camp Creek Route leads to the ridge of Mt Alexander on the Kaimata Range: a notable climb, spectacular tarns, a massive boulder garden, wildflower meadows, and grand summit views.
Getting there
~19 km south of Moana on Lake Brunner Road; 3 km / 750 m ascent, expert level.
The setting
Ahaura/Lake Brunner, Kaimata Range, outdoor wood-fired bathtub.
