Dunedin is never short of an adventure, but arguably the biggest adventure you can do in the city limits is a hike up the Rock and Pillar Range to Big Hut.
Having conquered many of Dunedin’s big walks, we had one left on our list – Big Hut, so decided my son’s 14th birthday would be the ideal time to do it, given hiking is all the rage for him right now. You need to strike while the iron is hot when it comes to getting kids outdoors.
Booking was easy – a text message to Kate, a hut trustee and we were set. She even offered to leave her walking poles on the deck at the Kissing Gate Café for me to pick up on our way through. Real southern hospitality. The drive from Dunedin along the Central Otago Touring Route to Middlemarch is spectacular. Rolling paddocks make way for tussocky tor-filled fields, a teaser to the terrain that lies ahead.
After picking up the poles (they had been sitting out there for a few days) we made our way to the carpark, a few clicks out of Middlemarch, just off the main road, behind a rustic gate called “Glencreag”. After a short walk over private land, we reached the conservation land boundary and from there, it’s straight up – 1000m, or about 2.5 hours.
We were warned how deceiving the walk is – just when you think you’ve reached the top, another whole section of mountain would reveal itself. This repeats three or four times, making for a tough, mental challenge. We passed all sorts of fauna and flora, from stabbing spear grass (which claimed a few victims), to sunbathing skinks. Turning around to admire the view is a chance to catch your breath, however, the views over Strath Taieri, Saddle Hill and the Pacific Ocean, take it away again.
In some parts the tussock got pretty high, making some markers hard to see, but if you stop at each one and scan the horizon, you’ll find them. The best tip we got – there are 80 markers along the whole track, so counting them might be a good strategy to know how far there is to go, however we found it just dragged out the torture and lost count somewhere around 50 anyway. Once you hit the snow line the tussock makes way for tundra and the red roof of the hut eventually comes into view.
The hut is as good as you’ll find anywhere. Bunks, a ping pong table, kitchen and plenty of room – it’s the height of luxury, literally – this is the highest accommodation you’ll find in Dunedin. While we were there, a couple of local lads were doing some maintenance by installing new windows, so most of the common area was out of use. Kate, our Big Hut contact had to drive some windows up to them earlier that day and was kind enough to remember to it was my son’s birthday and left us a cake in the fridge. You won’t get that level of service at most 5-star hotels.
Speaking of stars, our evening began with star gazing – the night skies are so much clearer in these parts, especially at this elevation. It was short-lived however, the weather rolled in as it so often does up here, with rain and hurricane-force wind battering the hut. No wonder the roof is battened down with steel cables. Inside though, you could hardly hear a thing and was the perfect opportunity to play some card games with a couple of med students who had made the hike up, sharing cake and stories until our bunks beckoned us to sleep.
Come morning the storm had gone, leaving sunny skies and sore legs. It was time to give the other muscles a workout on the steep descent, but not before a good look around the rocky outcrops at the summit and the promise of a Maggie’s ice cream at the end of it all as an incentive.
More info and bookings: www.middlemarch.nz/big_hut
