Huts with History – specialist Heritage Rangers move projects forward

Source: NZ Department of Conservation

DOC ranger Tim Groenendijk, Project Lead Heritage for the Lower North Island, has a unique role, he’s ensuring that the heritage of the region is maintained for future generations. He is one of ten specialist Heritage Ranger Project Leads across the country.

Tim carefully inspects and photographs all aspects of the hut.

Tim carefully inspects and photographs all aspects of the heritage hut. 📷: Nina Mercer

History in the mountains

Two days walk into the Ruahine ranges; Waterfall Hut stands as a quiet reminder of a rugged past. Built in 1961, it was one of a series of simple S70 huts used by the New Zealand Forest Service during the era of wild animal control—when hunters spent long, solitary weeks, even months, working the bush. Recognised for its heritage value, Waterfall Hut has been preserved much as it was. Part of Tim’s job is to inspect heritage assets to guide their maintenance planning.

DOC Ranger Caleb Smith reroofing Waterfall Hut.

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DOC Ranger Caleb Smith reroofing Waterfall Hut. 📷: Ross Greig

Historical integrity intact

The hut remains remarkably unchanged and is one of the key representative heritage huts in the Ruahines, there are several others of different design, like Top Maropea Hut and Smiths Stream Hut. A single room shelter sleeping six, Waterfall Hut lacks modern comforts, but that is part of its appeal. The open fireplace is now a rare feature in huts, but the cheery glow it produces makes the experience of overnighting even more historically authentic! For those willing to go into the back country, Waterfall Hut offers, arguably, a richer experience, its direct connection to the past.

A considered approach to essential maintenance

In May, as well as Tim’s condition assessment, DOC Rangers and keen volunteers braved the frosty weather and flew into Waterfall Hut to replace the roof and build a woodshed nearby. A sunny still day meant that several loads of materials and supplies were able to be helicoptered directly to the site. Tim was able to point out a couple of other minor maintenance jobs for the team and then left them to it. The reroofing was carefully planned to ensure that the hut’s heritage status was upheld. Funding for this work came from the National Cultural Heritage Fund.

The team prepping for the reroof.

The team prepping for the reroof. 📷: Nina Mercer

What’s different about work on heritage buildings?

Tim explains that, as with any DOC managed hut, it’s important to maintain heritage huts to a high-standard, ensuring they are weatherproof, tidy and functional. A key difference though is that any new materials need to be easily identifiable so that the original fabric of the hut can be distinguished from the new. Using matching materials is key to keeping the look and feel of the hut authentic to its era, but being able to identify original features is important. Replacing the minimum amount of original material is desirable and carefully repairing an element rather than creating a new one is preferred.

Top Maropea Hut after a recent reroof. 📷: Tim Groenendijk

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Top Maropea Hut after a recent reroof. 📷: Tim Groenendijk

So, if you’re a keen tramper, and interested in a true taste of the past, look no further than the heritage huts of Ruahine Forest Park:

Waterfall Hut: Ruahine Forest Park, Manawatu region

Smiths Stream Hut: Ruahine Forest Park, Hawke’s Bay region

Top Maropea Hut: Ruahine Forest Park, Manawatu region

Huts with History – specialist Heritage Rangers move projects forward

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