Wanganui Valley to Hunters Hut
Harihari · West Coast · Point to Point
This walk was suggested by the community and checked against the authority quoted above before it was published. The route line comes from official track data. DOC’s own wording: “Dogs with a DOC permit only. Contact closest DOC office to get a permit. All areas are prohibited to dogs except where authorisation has been granted by DOC. People wishing to take a dog into this area should seek authorisation from the DOC office in Franz Josef. (DOC, Wanganui valley tracks page and Wanganui hunting page.)”. Evidence: the rule-setter’s own published wording. How we check dog rules.
Good to know
A DOC dog permit is required before any dog walks here. DOC codes this land for the hunting-dog permit, so it is not a casual dog walk. Ask the DOC office before planning to bring a dog.
Opens your email app, addressed to [email protected]. You can also call DOC on 0800 275 362.
About Wanganui Valley to Hunters Hut
Near Harihari in West Coast, Wanganui Valley to Hunters Hut runs 15.9 km as a point-to-point.
The long day up the Wanganui: five hours from the road end to Hunters Hut for well equipped and experienced backcountry trampers, sent in by Dre and Hazel with times that match DOC's to the hour. Access is 8 km north of Harihari on SH6, on the northern side of the Wanganui River bridge, where a small side road heads up the valley; road erosion means you park by the Amethyst powerhouse and continue on foot. The track crosses a couple of paddocks, climbs through the rock quarry, then works up the valley through gorse, rocky beach and bush to Shearers Flat, riverbed to the three wire bridge at Hendes Creek, Mystie Flat, more riverbed past Steep Creek, and over Annoyance Bluff to Jones Flat. The finale is the cableway across the Wanganui River, follow its operating instructions to the letter, then an easy ten minutes downstream on the true left bank to the six bunk Hunters Hut. The dog rule is DOC's permit rule for the whole valley: dogs with a DOC permit only, and DOC's Wanganui hunting page says plainly that all areas are prohibited to dogs except where DOC has granted authorisation, arranged through the DOC office in Franz Josef. Sort it well before you go. This is real West Coast backcountry: over five metres of rain a year, unbridged side creeks that become uncrossable in heavy rain, and DOC's advice not to travel in rain or when rivers are high. The Amethyst hot springs are about 15 minutes from the road end car park if you want a soak on the way out, and bring a shovel, they often need digging out.
Expect hard going, with around 554 m of climb, and takes about 4 hr 6 min to walk.
A DOC dog permit is required before any dog walks here. Arrange it with the managing DOC office ahead of your trip. This walk is on the map because Dre & Hazel suggested it, and we checked it against the source above.