Pfeifer Bivvy

Pfeifer Bivvy is a tiny, two-bunk shelter at about 1,295 m in a tussock basin on the Aicken Range, above Lake Kaurapataka. It suits trampers looking for a remote night in the high country, not a quick stop from the road. Allow four to six hours from the Deception car park on SH73 to reach it. The bunks are free and first-come, first-served, with no booking.

The usual approach crosses the Otira footbridge, follows the Deception River for about a kilometre, then turns toward Paratu Stream and climbs Waharoa Saddle to the alpine tops and bivvy basin. The upper section is exposed route-finding terrain. In cloud, the point to descend can be hard to spot; take a GPS, or go only when visibility is good. DOC no longer maintains the access route, which gets occasional volunteer work. Bring your own food for the overnight.

The current bivvy was built in 2008 to replace a New Zealand Forest Service shelter from 1962. Inside are two sleeping platforms with mattresses and a cooking bench; a separate toilet is nearby. Water comes from nearby tarns or a creek, so bring a way to treat it before drinking.

Small tarns sit among the nearby tops, and a creek spills over the basin edge into Pfeifer Creek. On a clear day, the view reaches across the Taramakau Valley toward Mt Alexander and the Kaimata Range. Mt Pfeifer is about a 45-minute scramble from the hut when snow-free, so treat it as a fair-weather add-on. Kiwi may be heard in the basin after dark.