Back in Christchurch after a Christmas tramp in Otago and a shorter one in the McKenzie Country, we had a day and a half to spare and went looking for a short overnighter close to the city. We’d also reconnected with the third member of our team, Charlie, who’d been staying with Nicola’s parents in town. She was well used to sleeping on the bed and eating salmon treats by now, but she was also more than ready for a leg-stretcher and a swim.
Pinchgut Hut fitted the bill perfectly: close, just north-west of Rangiora in the Mt Thomas Forest Conservation Area, dog friendly, and a 10km, three-hour stroll according to the DoC guide.
Nicola crossing the Okuku River.
The guide billed it as challenging and advanced. It wasn’t. The walk to the hut was an easy wander along the banks of the Okūkū River, crossing occasionally to dodge slips and climbs.
The bush was a mix of kanuka and open beech forest, typical of much of the South Island outside the West Coast. Midsummer had the beech smelling strongly of honeydew and dressed in black sooty fungus, good fire starter if you need it.
The track follows the Okuku for much of the way.
Campsite bliss.
We reached the hut by mid-afternoon, and with beautiful weather and the hut set to lose the sun early, we decided to pitch the tent across the creek instead and light a fire for the evening. Charlie approved.
Firewood collected, there was nothing left to do but read, yarn and watch the fire burn down, a properly relaxing afternoon.
We always enjoy a fire.
A group of young girls arrived early evening for a night in the hut and confirmed we’d made the right call. They clearly had a lot of catching up to do.
Pinchgut Hut.
Monday didn’t call for an early start, so mid-morning we made our way back down the river and the last few kilometres to the road end. Near the finish we stopped for a swim in a deep pool in the Okūkū, beautifully clean, crystal clear, and bloody cold.
Our route to the hut.
Map: BW23
Hut GR: E-1546111, N-5224578
North of the Saddle 
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