West Sabine Hut
Serviced hutNelson Lakes National Park, TasmanOpen
- Sleeps
- 30 bunks
- Booking
- Can book
- Cost
- from $25
- 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 BS24
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. 42.00780° S, 172.68395° E
About this place
This is a serviced 30-bunk hut in the Nelson Lakes area.
On the way here
Travers-Sabine Circuit · 4 - 7 days
Upper Travers Hut to West Sabine Hut
Time: 6–9 hr depending on conditions
Poukirikiri/Travers Saddle is an alpine pass requiring ice axes and crampons in winter and well into spring. Be prepared for sudden weather changes. The Sabine side of the saddle in particular is exposed to avalanches. At Upper Travers Hut, the track becomes a route marked with snow poles as far as the bushline on the Sabine side. Cross the Travers River near the hut and follow the poles through dense alpine shrubs. Leaving the boulder‑strewn valley, the track steepens and zigzags up a scree slope before continuing more gently to the saddle with its panoramic views. The saddle is 450 m above the hut, about 1 hr 30 min walking. From the saddle, the descent is steep – the Sabine forks lie 1000 m below. The track crosses tussock and scree, then briefly enters stunted beech forest before emerging into a steep gully. Descend by zigzagging to the valley floor, where the track begins again and the walking becomes easier. Ten minutes further on, a bridge crosses the deep chasm of the East Branch Sabine River. The track sidles around the edge of this chasm before descending into the West Branch Sabine River valley and heading upstream a short distance to West Sabine Hut.
West Sabine Hut to Sabine Hut
Time: 6 hr Note: The track will now take 6 hr to walk due to damage from severe weather events.
Use the swing bridge upstream of the hut to cross the West Branch Sabine River. The track down the valley sidles above the river and crosses three long, open flats. Leave the river where it enters a gorge in the lower valley. Climb steeply, then descend again, rejoining the deep river at a bridge across a narrow cleft. Easy walking leads to Sabine Hut, with its expansive views over Lake Rotoroa. From Sabine Hut there are two ways to finish the tramp: either by tramping via Speargrass Hut and the Speargrass Valley, or taking the Rotoroa Water Taxi to Rotoroa village. The Rotoroa Route alongside the eastern side of Lake Rotoroa between Rotoroa village and Sabine Hut is permanently closed.
Source: DOC Te Papa Atawhai.
Know before you go
Keep alpine lakes and tarns free of lindavia (lake snow)
The invasive alga lindavia is present in Lakes Rotoiti and Rotoroa. It causes lake snow – a sticky mucus that hangs below the surface of the water. Make sure all your gear is completely dry for 48 hours before swimming or taking water from any alpine lake or tarn, including Rotomaninitua/Lake Angelus. U se a biosecurity cleaning station at Coldwater Hut, Lakehead Hut and Sabine Hut to disinfect any boots, socks, clothing, towels or drink bottles that are wet or damp from lake or river water. Do not touch the water in Rotomairewhenua/Blue Lake and Rotopōhueroa/Lake Constance. Be extra careful if you’ve recently swum or filled a drink bottle from Lakes Rotoiti or Rotoroa. More ways to stop the spread
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 · 3 to 4 nights
St Arnaud
Walking in
19 hr 30 min (via Lakehead Hut/Coldwater Hut, John Tait Hut, Upper Travers Hut)
Walking out
14 hr to St Arnaud via Speargrass Hut
Walking in
19 hr 30 min (via Lakehead Hut/Coldwater Hut, John Tait Hut, Upper Travers Hut)
Walking out
19 hr 30 min to St Arnaud (via Lakehead Hut/Coldwater Hut, John Tait Hut, Upper Travers Hut)
Source: DOC Te Papa Atawhai track descriptions.
Fees and bookings
1 May - 30 September
1 October - 30 April
Weekdays
Weekends
1 December - 29 February
Weekdays
Weekends
Backcountry Hut Passes Passes are valid for use in this hut from 1 May to 30 September. Passes Before you go, buy Hut Tickets for each night's stay. Put this in the honesty box at the hut. Or buy a Backcountry Hut Pass or Campsite Pass. About hut tickets and passes About campsite passes Retailers that sell hut tickets and passes Te Araroa – The Trail Pass Te Araroa Trail Pass
Bookings are open for stays up to 30 June 2027. If no availability shows online for your dates, the hut is fully booked. No spaces are kept for visitors arriving without a booking. Phone and in‑person bookings made at a visitor centre incur a $10 service fee. Same‑day bookings are available online until 8 pm if spaces remain. Book West Sabine Hut online
Source: DOC Te Papa Atawhai.
Nearby stops
Upper Travers Hut
Serviced • 24 bunks • Tasman • 5.6 km
Upper Travers Hut is a serviced 24-bunk hut located in the Nelson Lakes area of the Tasman region.
Heating • Mattresses • Toilets - non-flush
Cupola Hut
Standard • 8 bunks • Tasman • 5.7 km
Cupola Hut is a standard 8-bunk hut located in the Nelson Lakes area of the Tasman region.
Heating • Mattresses • Toilets - non-flush
Blue Lake Hut
Serviced • 16 bunks • Tasman • 6 km
Blue Lake Hut is a serviced 16-bunk hut located in the Nelson Lakes area of the Tasman region.
Heating • Mattresses • Toilets - non-flush
John Tait Hut
Serviced • 25 bunks • Tasman • 7.9 km
John Tait Hut is a serviced 25-bunk hut located in the Nelson Lakes area.
Heating • Mattresses • Toilets - non-flush
Hopeless Hut
Standard • 6 bunks • Tasman • 10.5 km
Hopeless Hut is a standard six-bunk hut located in the Nelson Lakes area of the Tasman region.
Heating • Mattresses • Toilets - non-flush
Walks nearby
Contact
Nelson Lakes National Park Visitor Centre
Regional DOC service centre.
Notes from people who have been
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Sources
- 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.
- 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).