Holyoakes Shelter

Holyoakes Shelter is a free, basic two-bed hut at Holyoake Clearing on Abel Tasman's Inland Track. It makes sense as an overnight stop for people walking the inland route, not as a casual detour from the beaches. Beds are first come, with no booking.

From Marahau, expect roughly 2½ to 3 hours on foot to the clearing: follow the Coast Track to Tinline Bay, then climb inland. The shelter is partway along a three-day advanced tramp, and the climb steepens after Tinline. Dogs aren't allowed. There are few reliable water sources between Tinline and the clearing, so plan your water before setting out.

The hut has two beds, a non-flush toilet and untreated tap water. Boil or otherwise treat the water before drinking it. Carry your own food for the stop. A picnic table sits outside the hut; this is a basic backcountry shelter, not a serviced lodge.

The current shelter was built in 2008 to replace a deteriorating New Zealand Forest Service hut from 1970. Holyoake Clearing was once cleared and sown with grass for farming, but was never stocked. The hut now sits beside a small fire pond, with a view down through the trees toward Tasman Bay.