‘Twas three months before Christmas and all through the shack,
There was no space for latecomers, not even their pack …
The tramping season is fast approaching and it is open season for New Zealand’s favourite pastime.
As summer arrives and plans turn to the beach and the bush, you need to be quicker to bag a bunk in one of these DoC Huts.
In 2021 a survey of visitors to conservation areas found one in five Kiwis said they had been on an overnight walk in the past year, while just 51 per cent had done at least one multi-day tramp. A night in a backcountry hut is a right of passage.
You only have to look at the race for spaces on the Great Walks to realise how popular the pastime is.
Last summer, 31,880 New Zealanders were joined by 15,500 international guests in huts on the 11 Great Walks. This year a surge in demand cooked the booking system delaying the summer booking window by two months.
Non-great walks are no less in demand as the weather improves.
There were 30,700 people who booked a night in one of the 70 bookable DoC huts last summer.
There is less of a rush to book these bunks says Cameron Hyland, DoC’s booking services manager.
“Lead times for huts in general are a bit shorter than, for example, the Great Walks – so they don’t tend to book out as far in advance.”
Despite high demand, he says there are plenty of options across New Zealand. Especially if you’re planning this far ahead.
“There are a handful that are near capacity over December/January, and a few more that are over 50 per cent booked, but the rest have plenty of space still available this far in advance,” says Hyland.
There are plenty of places where the huts are already full.
In Aoraki Mount Cook scenic mountain huts are top of trampers’ Christmas list. The Hooker Hut, an eight-bunk hut near Hooker Lake, is full for 58 days from December to January.
The orange-roofed hut was rescued from landslides and moved to a more prominent position in 2021 and is now one of the most popular huts on the network.
This is despite of rumours the historic 1910 shack is the “most haunted hut” on the DoC network.
For visitors hoping to meet the ghost of Christmas Present in the Hooker Hut, they may be disappointed. There have been very few “reports of ghost activity” since it took up it’s new place, according to DoC Aoraki operations manager Sally Jones.
Just 3km away as the kea flies, the alpine red Mueller Hut is the second most popular overnight in the country.
At 1800 metres and 28 bunks there are already 26 days at full capacity over summer. Although it’s popular for its stunning sunrise views of Mt Cook, the actual nightly occupancy is only 21 bunks. Despite being booked far in advance, last minute trampers - willing to take a chance - can often squeeze in as there are regular cancellations.
As it’s at the end of a challenging four-hour alpine track, you’ll need to come prepared. Check at the Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park Visitor Centre for the latest forecast and availability.
Christchurch’s Ōtamahua Hut is another top hut. On Quail Island a short ferry ride from Lyttelton Harbour, the 12 bed hut is a top summer escape within easy reach of the city, seemingly miles away from anywhere. It’s over half full this December, with thirty-one days fully booked through into January next year.
At the other end of the country - Northland huts are unsurprisingly popular, though with plenty of space at this stage.
The 12-bunk Motukawanui Hut in the Cavalli Islands is a secluded motu. Accessible only by boat, 27 days are already fully booked over Christmas.
Just up the coast in Pekapeka (Bat) Bay is Lane Cove Hut. The 16-bunk hut has beach access and views of the Kaiaraara Rocks or Duke’s Nose. Twenty-three days are fully booked in the Whangaroa hut.
Not far from one of New Zealand’s best beaches and just outside of Whangārei, Peach Cove Hut is a not-so-secret hut in a hidden cove. Accessed by the stunning Bream Head track with views of Ocean Beach it’s a summer classic that is currently fully booked for 31 days.