Blowfly Hut
Standard hutHaast, Paringa and Moeraki rivers area, West CoastOpen
- Sleeps
- 8 bunks
- Booking
- Can book
- Cost
- from $15
- Heating
- Yes
- Drinking water
- Boil first
- Toilet
- Non-flush
Getting there
We have not checked a road end or car park for this place yet, so we do not give driving directions to it. Check how to get there before you go. Some routes cross private land and need the landowner's permission.
How to get there, on doc.govt.nz- Topo map
- Topo50 sheet BY13
- Grid reference
- E1305997, N5144663
Source: DOC Te Papa Atawhai.
Map and tracks
Track lines: DOC Te Papa Atawhai. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Topo map: LINZ, CC BY 4.0. 43.79254° S, 169.34592° E
About this place
This is a standard eight-bunk hut in the South Westland Weheka Area.
On the way here
Historic Haast to Paringa Cattle Track · 3 days
SH6 to Blowfly Hut
Time: 1 hr 30 min
The initial section of the track to Blowfly Hut detours from the original route to avoid a lowland swampy area around Windbag Creek. Once past the swampy area, it soon picks up the original line. The flat well-benched track then follows the Moeraki River to a junction about 1 hour’s walk away. Blowfly Hut is a further 15 minutes’ walk from this junction, across the swing bridge to your left. There's a turn-off to your right just before Blowfly Hut that you need to take to continue the Historic Haast to Paringa Cattle Track.
Blowfly Hut to Māori Saddle Hut
Time: 4 hr 30 min
The track to Māori Saddle winds its way steadily uphill through mixed beech, rimu and kāmahi forest, typical of southern Westland. Along the way, you'll pass some good examples of stone culverts built by the mica miners. There's also a historic miner’s campsite near the helipad, 5 minutes before the Mica Mine Tops Route junction. Continuing towards Māori Saddle, sections of the track are quite rough – in heavy rain, access becomes more difficult due to the numerous stream crossings. Crossings are marked, but the rocks are very slippery, so take care. There are some diversions where slips have destroyed the original track, however, these are well marked and should not be difficult to follow. There are some very large specimens of beech trees along this section. There are also some relics of the historic ‘telegraph line’ that ran beside the track. There is a known active slip about 2 hours after Blowfly Hut, at Thompson Creek (N1301968, E5142768). This creates steep access into a fast-flowing river, so needs extreme caution to cross safely and can become impassible during heavy rain.
Source: DOC Te Papa Atawhai.
Trip options
Walking times come from DOC track descriptions, added up leg by leg from car-accessible trailheads. Nights and return times are ParkUp estimates, allowing about 8 hours of walking a day.
2 options · 1 night
SH6
Walking in
1 hr 30 min
Walking out
1 hr 30 min to SH6
Walking in
1 hr 30 min
Walking out
4 hr 30 min to Māori Saddle Hut
Source: DOC Te Papa Atawhai track descriptions.
Fees and bookings
Before you go, buy Hut Tickets for each night's stay. Put these in the honesty box at the hut. Or buy a Backcountry Hut Pass that gives unlimited use at most Standard and Serviced huts for a 12 month period. Retailers that sell hut tickets and passes
Book Blowfly Hut online
Source: DOC Te Papa Atawhai.
Nearby stops
Maori Saddle Hut
Standard • 10 bunks • West Coast • 6.2 km
Maori Saddle Hut is a standard 10-bunk hut located in the South Westland area of the West Coast.
Heating • Mattresses • Toilets - non-flush
Coppermine Creek Hut
Standard • 8 bunks • West Coast • 14.7 km
Coppermine Creek Hut is a standard eight-bunk hut located in the South Westland area of the West Coast region.
Heating • Mattresses • Toilets - non-flush
Saddle Hut
Otago • 100.7 km
Saddle Hut is a hut located in the Otago region. The provided records do not include specific details regarding its facilities or access.
Walks nearby
Contact
Awarua/Haast Visitor Centre
Regional DOC service centre.
Notes from people who have been
No notes yet. If you have been, say what you found.
Something missing or out of date?
Closed, moved, wrong facts, or something we have missed? Travellers keep the Road Guide up to date. Tell us what you found at contribute@parkup.nz and we will check it and add it.
Ask us to take this down
A person reads every request. We do not remove a place until we have checked it.
Sources
- DOC Huts (API) · CC BY 4.0Crown Copyright: Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai. Data sourced from the DOC Developer Portal (api.doc.govt.nz).
- DOC Huts · CC BY 4.0Data sourced from the Department of Conservation (DOC), New Zealand.
- OpenStreetMap Huts · ODbL (Open Database License)Contains information from OpenStreetMap, made available under the ODbL.