Mackay Wardens Hut
The place
Mackay Wardens Hut in Kahurangi National Park, Karamea/Little Wanganui area (West Coast/Tasman, South Island, New Zealand), at 695 m altitude, on the Wangapeka Track. Continuous Kahurangi cluster (batches 200-348). Historic DOC wardens' hut (surname "Mackay", Scottish, Sutherland highlanders, 1830s NZ immigration following the Highland Clearances 1750-1850 that displaced 100,000 Scots from land taken over by English sheep farmers for merino wool), an area with red beech + silver beech mixed forest, Nothofagus fusca/menziesii + Fiordland tokoeka Apteryx australis kiwi endemic + kaka parrot Nestor meridionalis, cousin of the kea and the largest mountain parrot in the world at 45 cm and 1 kg + weka Gallirallus australis flightless bird, heritage of the Kāi Tahu (Ngāi Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998, monopoly on Arahura pounamu greenstone jade).
The setting
Kahurangi NP Karamea/Little Wanganui West Coast/Tasman NZ 695 m Wangapeka Track, continuous cluster batches 200-348, DOC wardens Mackay Scottish Sutherland highlanders 1830s Highland Clearances 1750-1850 100,000 Scots merino sheep, Nothofagus fusca/menziesii mixed forest + Apteryx australis tokoeka + Nestor meridionalis kea 45 cm 1 kg largest mountain parrot + Gallirallus australis weka flightless, Kāi Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998 jade monopoly.
