That meant the Great Walk experience was off the table for now.
People would still be able to book the other huts on the circuit individually, with those bookings expected to open in July.
But the walk between the two huts on either side - Mangatepopo and Waihohonu - without stopping at Oturere was 20km, and would take between 8 and 10 hours.
That was twice the distance visitors would normally walk on those second and third days, and the route passed through steep, rough alpine terrain with fast-changing, extreme weather.
While the tracks were open, DoC did not recommend people hike between Mangatepopo and Waihohonu unless they were very fit and experienced backcountry trampers, carrying the right gear to be self-sufficient.
The new hut was in the final planning stages, with construction due to begin in the summer, when there would be longer daylight hours and less harsh alpine conditions for the construction team.
“We can sometimes expect snow right up until the end of every year,” O’Brien explained.
They would be flying building materials in by helicopter, but to keep costs low, the team would stay on-site in the old hut.
It would be “slightly different from the normal rectangle hut that people know and love,” O’Brien said, and would mean an improved experience for walkers for years to come.
-RNZ
