As part of a three-month bikepacking trip around New Zealand, Josh Reid and his girlfriend Flora took a side trip to the Macaulay Hut, an impressive 14-bunk getaway in Te Kahui Kaupeka Conservation Park north of Lake Tekapo. Find Josh’s video, a collection of photos, and a short recap from the trip here…
Words, photos, and video by Josh Reid
Washboard tracks, bags-off river crossings, and a fair bit of bush-whacking—worth it to reach the most opulent camping hut I’ve ever visited. There are mountain shelters, bothies, refuges, and rifugios all over the world, located in hard-to-reach and remote areas. Usually basic, they provide a safe place to hunker down overnight or for when bad weather closes in.
The Macaulay Hut hut in New Zealand is remote but more equipped than most. I visited it with my girlfriend recently on a three-month bikepacking trip. We cycled south from Auckland on Tour Aotearoa on the North Island after following the Sound to Sound trail on the South Island. The Kennett Brothers design both routes.
The original plan was to head west from the outdoor attractions around Lake Tekapo to reach the glacial blue waters of the Godley River and the Red Stag hut. However, on a rest day, we rented a kayak from Pete Munro, the secretary-treasurer of the Mackenzie Alpine Trust, which operates huts in the area. He told us the Red Stag hut had been cut off and, in its stead, suggested staying over at the Macaulay hut, which is his organization’s premier hut. Advice worth taking.
The following day, we set off for the hut. It involved several river crossings, as seen in this video of our journey. It was a tough day; it took us over 11 hours to ride and walk 37 miles. But what a stopover!
You can find more from Josh on Instagram and via his YouTube channel.
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