Kiwi Flat Hut Mini Hut - Waitaha Valley, West Coast

The first hut at the base of the mighty Waitaha Valley, the hut baggers dream and home to coveted Ivory Lake Hut. 

It was built in the 1960’s and was given this colourful exterior by local Bruce in the late 70s. He went against orders to paint it beige and mixed up this shade of teal using leftover paint from Ivory Lake Hut, which was blue at the time.

The hut is a standard SF70 six-bunk design and still has its original open fire.

We decided to make this hut after reading about it in the FMC Backcountry magazine. Apparently Westpower used the hut book entries to justify ‘low use’ of the valley in their hydro application, wilfully disregarding the fact plenty of trampers do not always sign hut books. A stark reminder we should always sign the hut book, even if just passing through.

Our Mini Hut version is made from salvaged timber and tin cans. Painted in it’s 1978 colour scheme of teal and rescue orange.

7.5 (W) x 8.5 (L) x 7.5 (H) cm

Ingredients: 1/2 large tin can, slab of reclaimed timber, hours of time and attention, years of experimentation, a healthy dose of hut obsession

Every hut comes with a corrugated info card & map hidden in its chimney

Learn more about the makers: www.keminiko.com