NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Travel

Got To Get Out: Take a hike to Crosbies Hut near Thames

NZ Herald
9 Jan, 2018 04:00 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Robert Bruce believes people should great outdoors more often, for the relaxation and health benefits.

This week the Herald is profiling different hikes you can do to get fit. We have enlisted Robert Bruce, founder of Got To Get Out, to write about his favourite adventures. He says that getting outside and exploring nature is not only beneficial for the body, but a proven and easy way to improve your mental health.

The adventure in a sentence:

Adventure lovers may be more familiar with the popular Pinnacles hut in the Kauraeranga Valley than Crosbies Hut but the latter is a hike worth doing.

Where is it?

Crosbies Hut is located on the Memorial Loop Track off the Main Range Track, approximately 12 km north east of Thames.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

It took us about five hours of hiking to get to the hut from the road-end where we parked the car overnight.

Where to stay?

You spend the night in the very comfortable 10-bed Crosbies Hut, which offers panoramic views of the Coromandel Main Range.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The hut is well equipped with a table, chairs, and fireplace. Ours was a pleasant stay at a very modern lodge with good facilities.

Robert Bruce treks to  Crosbies Hut. Photo / Robert Bruce
Robert Bruce treks to Crosbies Hut. Photo / Robert Bruce

About the adventure:

Despite the Pinnacles Hut being off limits right now, hikers wanting to get out of the city still have some incredible options in the Coromandel Forest Park.

Bookings are required from the DOC website, but we had no trouble booking only a week or two before departure.

Discover more

Lifestyle

How a high-flying marketing whiz was made redundant and turned his life around

31 Dec 04:00 PM
Travel

Mount Taranaki has hikes for everyone

01 Jan 04:00 PM
Travel

Got to Get Out: Mount Pirongia

02 Jan 04:00 PM
New Zealand

Got To Get Out: Cape Brett Lighthouse

08 Jan 04:00 PM

The walk in to the hut takes you through stunning regenerating and original bush including towering kauri.

The walk includes some tough terrain, roots, slippery track, and deep mud in places.

Good boots, gaiters, and travelling light are some tricks - the views at the end are totally worth any mud or effort to get there.

How long does it take?

Once you park your car at the end of the road it's a solid six hours to the hut depending on how many stops you make for snacks or to take in the views.

Difficulty rating (1-5): 3

The distance is not so much the problem, it is easily managed by most hikers in a day walk.

The deep mud and slippery tracks do pose some challenges to first-timers, so having good grip on your shoes is key.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Some of the terrain you can encounter on the way to the hut. Photo / Robert Bruce
Some of the terrain you can encounter on the way to the hut. Photo / Robert Bruce

What to bring?

The hut has water, but no power and DOC always recommends boiling hut water.

You need to book the hut in advance so it's unlikely you will be on the floor.

A sleeping bag, food, drinking water, and some nice dry socks are a must. Take some cards or a book, and relax – that's what getting out is all about.

Other vital info:

Keep an eye on the weather forecast as it can be changeable, and stay in touch with DOC in the region.

They're helpful and will let you know about any track closures in the area. It is worth phoning ahead to check if there's anything you need to know before hitting the trails.

Why I recommend it:

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The views out towards the Pinnacles almost make up for not being in the Pinnacles Hut.

Crosbies is well equipped and comfortable, and the views are stunning.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Travel

Travel

Winter in Melbourne is a delight, if you know where to look

02 Jul 07:00 AM
Travel

In a city full of tourist traps, this food tour steered me to the real deal

02 Jul 12:00 AM
Travel

How a rainforest and a baby python fixed my burnout

01 Jul 07:00 AM

One pass, ten snowy adventures

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Travel

Winter in Melbourne is a delight, if you know where to look

Winter in Melbourne is a delight, if you know where to look

02 Jul 07:00 AM

Melbourne's winter charm lies in its hidden bars, laneway culture, and vibrant arts scene.

In a city full of tourist traps, this food tour steered me to the real deal

In a city full of tourist traps, this food tour steered me to the real deal

02 Jul 12:00 AM
How a rainforest and a baby python fixed my burnout

How a rainforest and a baby python fixed my burnout

01 Jul 07:00 AM
Live octopus and martial arts classes: What South Korea is really like

Live octopus and martial arts classes: What South Korea is really like

01 Jul 01:00 AM
Your Fiordland experience, levelled up
sponsored

Your Fiordland experience, levelled up

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP