Backcountry Huts
Three Department of Conservation huts you can walk to from the Rarakau trailhead, each with a story of its own.
Three Department of Conservation huts can be reached on foot from Rarakau Lodge, about 17 km from Tuatapere. Port Craig School Hut is a 20-bunk serviced hut in the old Port Craig schoolhouse, about 20 km and 7 hours along the South Coast Track, and must be booked. Teal Bay Hut is a 12-bunk standard hut on Lake Hauroko at the end of the alpine Teal Bay Track, paid with hut tickets. Westies Hut is a free five-bunk basic hut built into a sea cave at Prices Harbour, about 63 km along the South Coast Track.
Rarakau Lodge sits at the trailhead, so it’s the natural place to rest before you go and when you get back.
Compare the huts
Hut fees are DOC’s adult and youth rates per night. Check current fees and conditions with the Department of Conservation before you go.
| Hut | Bunks | Type and booking | Per night | From Rarakau |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Port Craig School Hut | 20 | Serviced, booking required | $25 adult, $12.50 youth | About 20 km, around 7 hours on the South Coast Track |
| Teal Bay Hut | 12 | Standard, hut tickets in the honesty box or a Backcountry Hut Pass | $15 adult, $7.50 youth | About 23 km, 8–9 hours over Hump Ridge |
| Westies Hut | 5 | Basic, no booking | Free | About 63 km, a multi-day trip on the South Coast Track |
The huts
Port Craig School Hut
A 20-bunk hut inside New Zealand's last surviving Port Craig schoolhouse.
20 bunks · about 7 hours from the lodge
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Westies Hut
A five-bunk shelter built into a sea cave, deep on the South Coast Track.
5 bunks · free, no booking needed
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Teal Bay Hut
A 12-bunk hut on Lake Hauroko, linked to the South Coast Track by a remote alpine route.
12 bunks · hut tickets, honesty box
Read MoreChoosing a hut
Port Craig School Hut is the easiest to reach, and most walkers get there comfortably in a day. Port Craig was a timber town of more than 200 people, built in 1916 around what was then New Zealand’s largest sawmill. The mill closed in 1928, and the schoolhouse is the only building left. On the way you walk Te Waewae Bay, one of the best places in New Zealand to see Hector’s dolphins. Beyond the hut, the old logging tramway crosses the Percy Burn Viaduct, 125 m long and 36 m high.
Teal Bay Hut sits on the southern shore of Lake Hauroko, at 462 m New Zealand’s deepest lake, in Fiordland National Park. The Teal Bay Track to get there is a demanding alpine crossing for experienced trampers. If that’s not for you, you can see the lake and the Wairaurahiri River by jet boat instead.
Westies Hut is a small shelter built into the mouth of a sea cave at Prices Harbour, about 2 km past Big River, with the tide reaching almost to the door. It was long used as a fishing and whitebaiting shack and is now a free basic hut. Getting there takes several days through Port Craig, Wairaurahiri and Waitutu, and the final stretch is for experienced trampers only.
What to bring
Bring your own sleeping bag and food. Port Craig School Hut has a wood burner but no lighting and no cooking equipment, so take a torch and a portable stove. Hut water comes from rainwater tanks or streams and should be boiled or treated before drinking.
Leave your car in our car park, free for guests for the length of your trip, and check current hut and track conditions with the Department of Conservation before you set out.
Tracks and walks
All three huts are on or off the multi-day tracks that start at the lodge. For a shorter outing, try one of our day walks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Port Craig School Hut and Westies Hut on the South Coast Track, and Teal Bay Hut on Lake Hauroko at the end of the Teal Bay Track. All three are Department of Conservation huts.
Port Craig School Hut is a serviced hut and must be booked. Teal Bay Hut and Westies Hut cannot be booked: pay for Teal Bay with hut tickets in the honesty box or a Backcountry Hut Pass, and Westies is free.
Port Craig School Hut is $25 a night for adults and $12.50 for youth. Teal Bay Hut is $15 for adults and $7.50 for youth. Westies Hut is free.
Port Craig School Hut, about 20 km and around 7 hours from Rarakau Lodge along the South Coast Track. Most walkers reach it comfortably in a single day.
A sleeping bag, food, a torch and a portable stove. The huts have bunks with mattresses but no lighting or cooking equipment, and water should be boiled or treated.