Downs Hut
HutCanterbury
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.
Map and tracks
Track lines: DOC Te Papa Atawhai. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Topo map: LINZ, CC BY 4.0. 43.33283° S, 171.12437° E
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About this place
Downs Hut is a backcountry hut located in the Canterbury region of New Zealand. It provides a basic shelter for hikers and tramping parties in the area.
On the way here
Heaphy Track · 4-6 days
Perry Saddle to Gouland Downs Hut
Time: 2 hr walking, 1-2 hr mountain biking
km Cross Perry Saddle and sidle above Perry Creek through tussock clearings and patches of beech. Soon the valley widens and the track climbs a small rise to where the Gouland Downs, an open tussock area, is revealed stretching out to the west. The track meanders easily down to Cave Brook, passing the famed pole to which trampers have tied old boots over the years. Just beyond the brook is Gouland Downs Hut. Nearby, a small patch of beech grows on a limestone outcrop which has escaped erosion. This area is worth exploring. The track crosses one of several limestone arches, which are the remnants of old caves. Nearby, a small waterfall flows out of another cave passage. Mountain biking: A mainly downhill ride to Gouland Downs on a wide, well-formed track. Initially, the track is quite steep with technical stony sections and deep streams.
Campsites and huts between Perry Saddle and Gouland Downs Hut
Look and listen out for great spotted kiwi/roroa around Gouland Downs.
Gouland Downs Hut to Saxon Hut
Time: 1 hr 30 min, 1-2 hr mountain biking
5.4 km Beyond Gouland Downs Hut the track is relatively level as it crosses the northern part of Gouland Downs. The tussock country and riverbeds make for good exploring but, when the mist lowers, the featureless downs can be confusing and it is easy to become disorientated. Saxon Hut, nestled near the end of the downs, is named after John Saxon, who surveyed the track in 1886.
Source: DOC Te Papa Atawhai.
Nearby stops
Scotts Beach Campsite
Great Walk • West Coast • 262.3 km
Scotts Beach Campsite is a walk-in campsite located on the Heaphy Track.
Fire pit/place for campfires (except in fire bans) • Non-powered/tent sites • Water from tap - not treated, boil before use
Katipo Creek Shelter Campsite
Great Walk • West Coast • 267 km
Katipo Creek Shelter Campsite is a walk-in campsite on the Heaphy Track.
Non-powered/tent sites • Water from tap - not treated, boil before use • Toilets - non-flush
Heaphy Campsite
Great Walk • West Coast • 273.2 km
Heaphy Campsite is a walk-in campsite located on the Heaphy Track in the Nelson/Tasman region.
Non-powered/tent sites • Toilets - flush • Water from tap - not treated, boil before use
Heaphy Hut
Great Walk • 32 bunks • West Coast • 273.3 km
Heaphy Hut is a 32-bunk hut located on the Heaphy Track in the Buller area.
Cooking • Heating • Mattresses
James Mackay Campsite
Great Walk • West Coast • 286.6 km
James Mackay Campsite is a walk-in campsite located on the Heaphy Track in the Nelson/Tasman region.
Non-powered/tent sites • Toilets - flush • Water from tap - not treated, boil before use
Notes from people who have been
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Sources
- OpenStreetMap Huts · ODbL (Open Database License)Contains information from OpenStreetMap, made available under the ODbL.