Two of Great Barrier Island’s most-used backcountry huts have been given a full refresh ahead of the summer tramping season.
Sixteen volunteers from the Backcountry Trust spent six days working with Department of Conservation staff to upgrade Mt Heale Hut and Kaiaraara Hut on the Aotea Track. Skywork Helicopters flew in the crews and materials, including 140 litres of paint supplied for the project by Dulux.
The teams repainted the interior and exterior of Kaiaraara Hut, stained the outside of the 20-bunk Mt Heale Hut, installed new furnishings and completed a range of general maintenance jobs.
Backcountry Trust volunteer Sam Woodham said the group arrived on Thursday evening and put in several hours of work immediately, knowing poor weather was on the way.
“It was a big weekend with volunteers from across the North Island,” he said. “We got straight on the tools because we knew bad weather was coming.”
The Backcountry Trust has renovated more than 300 huts in the past decade, but this is its first project in the Auckland region. The Great Barrier work forms part of more than 70 projects the group has planned nationwide for 2025–26.
Woodham, who works as a tradesman, said volunteering was a practical way to support the outdoors. “I spend a lot of time in the bush, so I know how valuable huts are,” he said. “DOC showed us around the island afterwards, which was a real bonus.”
DOC principal ranger Karl Fisher said the upgraded huts would be welcomed by trampers heading onto the Aotea Track during summer. He thanked the volunteer leaders and said the transformation was clear.
The project was completed under the Community Huts Programme, a partnership between DOC and the Backcountry Trust funded by the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy.
Mt Heale and Kaiaraara are key overnight stops on the Aotea Track, a multi-day route that takes walkers through wetlands, past hot pools and up to the summit of Hirakimata/Mt Hobson.
Planning a tramp?
Bookings are required for huts on the Aotea Track.
You can check availability and book through the Department of Conservation’s website:
- Aotea Track overview – information on the full route
- Mt Heale Hut – 20-bunk hut above Windy Canyon
- Kaiaraara Hut – 28-bunk hut near the valley floor
