Goat Pass Hut via Mingha Valley

From the Greyneys Shelter access on SH73, cross the highway and use the pedestrian underpass beneath the railway. Follow the vehicle track about 500 m to the Bealey River, then cross above its meeting with the Mingha. The valley route starts with about an hour of stony riverbed travel, crossing the Mingha where needed. Channels shift after storms, so the best crossing can change.

A marked track climbs through bush above the Mingha Gorge to Dudley Knob, then drops back toward the river. Turn around there for the broad view down Mingha Valley toward the highway and surrounding mountains. The route continues through bush toward Mingha Bivvy, a small two-bunk shelter near the river and forest edge. It is a useful landmark, not a staffed hut or a guarantee of safe shelter: the bivvy sits in a known avalanche path.

Beyond the bivvy, the route crosses the Mingha near its bend toward Temple Col, then follows a marked track through subalpine scrub beside Goat Pass Stream. Boardwalk carries the boggier ground toward the pass; Goat Pass Hut sits in a hollow just north of the 1,070 m saddle. The hut has 20 bunks, no fireplace and untreated tap water. Overnight stays require booking; bring your own cooker and utensils.

Lake Mavis is a separate side trip, not part of the 23 km return distance. It adds a steep 500 m climb over tussock and scree, then a cairned ridge, and takes about two hours each way. The route is only occasionally marked, so it calls for confident navigation and good conditions. The trail’s clearest photo stop is Dudley Knob: turn back toward the lower Mingha Valley to include the route’s long descent toward the highway.