Lodging · Westland Tai Poutini National Park
A four-bunk overnight for expert trampers in remote river country.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Westland Tai Poutini Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Westland Tai Poutini National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Westland Tai Poutini audio tour“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Horace Walker Hut is a standard four-bunk hut on a terrace beside the Douglas River, in Westland Tai Poutini’s Glacier area. It is an overnight stop for the remote Karangarua and Douglas valleys, not a quick walk from a car park. Make it a goal if you’re an experienced tramper planning a multi-day trip; it’s the wrong choice for an easy day out.
Treat it as a basic backcountry shelter: four bunks, mattresses, heating and a non-flush toilet. Water comes from a stream and needs boiling before drinking. Plan to carry the food you need for the route.
These valleys can flood at any time, and the route has rockfall, steep exposed ground and avalanche hazards. Summer and autumn are the preferred seasons; avoid setting out in bad weather or when rain is forecast. Check conditions locally and carry a personal locator beacon.
Wildlife
89 sightingsKeaMost seen around 10 AMSighting map
10 sightingsBlue DuckMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
80 sightingsKererūMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
38 sightingsTūīMost seen around 5 AMSighting map
10 sightingsNew Zealand FalconMost seen around 10 AMSighting map
28 sightingsYellow-crowned ParakeetMost seen around 8 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Westland Tai Poutini. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
Lodging · 3.5 km awayChristmas Flat HutA remote four-bunk hut for serious backcountry tramping.
Lodging · 5 km awayLame Duck HutA four-bunk stop deep on an expert backcountry route.
Campground · 6.7 km awayWelcome Flat CampsiteBackcountry tents near hot pools, after a long valley walk.
Lodging · 6.7 km awayWelcome Flat HutA 31-bunk hut after seven hours on the Copland Track.
Sight · 6.9 km awayWelcome Flat Hot PoolsWarm pools and Sierra Range views, after a long backcountry tramp.Parkwolf’s Westland Tai Poutini ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
