Locke Stream Hut

Locke Stream Hut is an 18-bunk backcountry hut in a small clearing in Taramakau Valley forest. It’s a stop on the advanced Harper Pass tramp, not a roadside hut; I’d plan it as part of a multi-day crossing, not as a quick detour. The hut requires a booking, so check the Department of Conservation’s current instructions before you go.

From the west, the route leaves the Taramakau River near its meeting with Locke Stream, crosses the stream, then follows a short forest track to the hut. The trip from Aickens via Kiwi Hut is about six hours one way. There are several unbridged river crossings, and the rivers can rise quickly after rain. This suits trampers with backcountry and river-crossing experience; check current route conditions and don’t attempt a crossing when water is high.

Inside are bunks and mattresses, a fireplace, and a non-flush toilet. Water comes from the stream, not a treated tap, so bring a way to treat it. Bring food for the night, too, and secure it: rats are present year-round. The hut radio has been permanently removed.

Harper Pass was an important Māori route between the West Coast and the east for pounamu trading, and it remained important during the 1864–65 gold rush. Locke Stream Hut was built with government funding as the Taramakau–Harper Pass–Lake Sumner route was developed through a physical-fitness programme. Its timber-and-iron structure has an unusual floor of adzed timber cut from the surrounding forest. In 1993, the windows, cladding, chimney and fireplace were renewed, and a removable verandah was added.