Thames, New Zealand
Kauaeranga Valley Road
N/A
+64 78679080
The hut is located about an hour away from the Pinnacles peak, which was very handy for us since we wanted to get to the peak before sunrise. We were welcomed by the rangers when we arrived and given a basic introduction to the facilities. There were two large rooms filled with bunks. The room was open and so you could hear everything going on inside the room, which is bad when there are loud snorers. The hut was very well equipped with a kitchen with burners and lights as well as a BBQ outside near the outdoor tables. The toilets were a walk away and did require your own lighting at night. Stream and rainwater were available there. We ate dinner and chatted for a bit in the communal dining area by the kitchen before retiring for an early start. We brought everything up and took everything down, including pans, food and cutlery. If you have the option, splitting the walk into two days makes it so much more comfortable and relaxing. The hut does book out quite early, think we booked about 3 weeks in advance and it was already mostly booked out.
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The best hut in NZ! Very clean and comfortable. Has a bbq and showers too as long as the water restrictions allow
Great experience in a beautiful hut with amazing views. Our while family enjoyed the hike to the hut and the Pinnacles peak hike. Hut warden Lester was fantastic and ensured the experience was easy and smooth. Would recommend anyone with a respect for their environment to do the hike.
Beautiful hike. Pretty steady 2 hours uphill but worth it. The extra bit up to the pinnacles themselves had a few ladders etc. Biggest capacity hut in nz
Stunning! Well worth the effort.
Really well equipped hut, gas cookers, water, lights, and tidy bunk area
Just the experience of walking up the Pinnacles is tremendous. It is suitable for fit people, whether it be families with children or not. There are some strenuous bits of the walk, especially some of the steps which look as though they were built by extremely tall men. There are a number of swing bridges to negotiate but the views up can be stunning depending on the weather. If you stop in the bunkhouse you can get the sunrise from the top, although you have to be fit to negotiate the scree and the ladders near the top.
Excellent hut. Clean and well maintained. Friendly and knowledgeable warden. Gas, cookers and kettles supplied (wish I knew this before lugging my own up).. The water was also nice and clean for drinking even though it said to boil. The mattresses are plastic covered and are reasonably comfortable. There were no moskitos while we were there in February. Families and people with kids sleep on one side and adult groups on the other. Bring ear plugs - guests can be inconsiderate with their noise. Expect to be woken at 5am by people leaving to see the sunrise from the pinnacles. The pinnacles is a 30 minute brisk steep and sometimes technical walk from the hut but is well worth the effort, especially for a good sunset! Note: book early if planning a weekend visit as it'll be booked months ahead, especially over summer! Book via DOC website. Costs 15 per adult. When walking up, don't take the Billy goat track unless you are keen on a massive 4 hour climb! The Webb creek track is better at around 3 hours for someone relatively fit. I felt like it was the equivalent of climbing Mount Maunganui 3 times. Overall one of the best North island short walks!
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