Minchin Bivvy

Minchin Bivvy is a remote, two-bunk hut in a tussock basin at the junction of Minchin Stream and Linwood Creek, about 935 m up in Arthur's Pass National Park. It sits on the expert Minchin Pass Route, a three-to-four-day traverse, roughly an hour before Minchin Pass. It is useful shelter if you're already on that route; it isn't a roadside stop or a short walk.

There are two bunks and a non-flush toilet; DOC says there are no mattresses. Use is first come, with no booking. DOC doesn't list a potable water supply here, so plan your water for the route rather than relying on the hut.

The route skirts a deep gorge on a marked bypass over rocky bluffs, then crosses and re-crosses Minchin Stream before reaching the bivvy. DOC rates the route expert and warns about unbridged rivers and avalanche terrain. High water can make the gorges impassable, so avoid going after heavy rain or in heavy snow and check current conditions with the Arthur's Pass Visitor Centre before setting out. Dogs aren't allowed on the route.

The New Zealand Forest Service built the bivvy in 1958 as a deer-control shelter. It was extensively repaired in 2016, with DOC crediting volunteer Roger Woods for the work.