Thomas River Mini Hut - Weheka to Haast River Conservation Area, West Coast

A classic standing example of the ‘forest service orange’ SF70 design from the golden age of hut building led by the NZFS.

Permolat volunteers, led by Geoff Spearpoint, put in the mahi to maintain the hut in 2016 before Thomas River tried to undermine their work. Undeterred they relocated the hut away from the undercut bank with winches and logs. Backcountry Trust quotes “over 370 volunteer person hours ensured Thomas River Hut should be safe from floods for some decades to come”.

A mammoth job for a remote hut that can’t be accessed without a packraft or boat due to Thomas Rivers position on the true right of Haast River. Testament to the love of these historic huts.

We’ve created two colour versions of the hut, how it looks now (full orange) and how it looked originally (cream and orange).

Mini Hut Ingredients

_{Made in Aotearoa}

6.7cm (w) x 8cm (l) x 7cm (h) 

Tin can steel, reclaimed rimu or pine, 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