Highland Creek Hut
Standard hutWānaka area, OtagoOpen
- Sleeps
- 12 bunks
- Booking
- Not bookable
- Cost
- from $15
- Heating
- None
- 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 CB12
- Grid reference
- E1278889, N5034123
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. 44.77419° S, 168.94176° E
About this place
This is a standard 12-bunk hut in the Wānaka area.
On the way here
Motatapu Track · 3 - 4 days
Fern Burn Hut to Highland Creek Hut
Time 3 – 5 hr, 6 km This section is more arduous. It continues along the Upper Fern Burn through tussock country before reaching 1,275-m Jack Hall’s Saddle. The saddle and nearby creek were named after a local shepherd. Then there's a steep descent into a creek bed, before traversing another two ridges descending to Highland Creek. The descent is very slippery in wet weather. The 12-bunk Highland Creek Hut nestles in this spectacular upland basin.
Highland Creek Hut to Roses Hut
Time: 6 – 8 hr, 11 km
This is the most challenging section of Motatapu Track. It is physically demanding – allow plenty of time. After crossing Highland Creek the marked track sidles and climbs above an unnamed creek onto a prominent spur. It continues up this spur before sidling along a steep tussock face; stunning views across the Motatapu Valley are a highlight of this section. The track then drops into a small gully and crosses the creek through a small patch of beech forest, then climbs out onto the leading south-west ridge off Knuckle Peak. Follow down this ridge to the Motatapu River and cross the river. There is no bridge. The 12-bunk Roses Hut is an easy tramp across the open flats.
Source: DOC Te Papa Atawhai.
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 Te Araroa – The Trail Pass Te Araroa Trail Pass
Source: DOC Te Papa Atawhai.
Nearby stops
Fern Burn Hut
Standard • 12 bunks • Otago • 5.1 km
Fern Burn Hut is a standard 12-bunk hut located in the Wānaka area of Otago.
Mattresses • Toilets - non-flush • Water from tap - not treated, boil before use
Roses Hut
Standard • 12 bunks • Otago • 7.1 km
Roses Hut is a standard 12-bunk hut located in the Wānaka area of Otago.
Mattresses • Toilets - non-flush • Water from tap - not treated, boil before use
Macetown Campsite
Basic • Otago • 14 km
Macetown Campsite is a basic campsite in the Queenstown and Wakatipu area, located 15 km from Arrowtown. Access is via a 4WD road that crosses the Arrow River…
Non-powered/tent sites • Water from stream • Toilets - non-flush
Arrowtown Holiday Park
Otago • 20.6 km
Arrowtown Holiday Park is a campsite located in the Otago region. It provides a base for visitors exploring the historic town and the surrounding Central Otago…
Moonlight and Roses Hut
Basic/bivvies • 4 bunks • Otago • 47.8 km
Moonlight and Roses Hut is a basic four-bunk hut located in the Wanaka area of Otago.
Heating • Mattresses • Toilets - non-flush
Walks nearby
Contact
Wānaka Tititea/Mount Aspiring National Park
Regional DOC service centre.
Notes from people who have been
No notes yet. If you have been, say what you found.
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Sources
- OpenStreetMap Huts · ODbL (Open Database License)Contains information from OpenStreetMap, made available under the ODbL.
- 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.