Back Ridge Bivouac
Back Ridge Bivouac is a 2-person bivouac in Kaweka Forest Park, used as a basic overnight stop on the Back Ridge and Rocks Ahead tracks. It sits at the junction of the Back Ridge and Rocks Ahead tracks in the centre of the park, built in 1962 by the New Zealand Forest Service, and it’s commonly used to break up longer tramp routes through the central and western Kaweka area.
Sleep setup is simple: it has 2 bunk beds and mattress provision, and use is free with no bookings required—stays are first come, first served. Cooking is limited to a meat safe and a BBQ, and there’s a long-drop style toilet with pit-latrine disposal; no drinking water is provided and there’s no fireplace. The nearby Mackahu Saddle approach is a marked, poled route with a steep climb to the main Kaweka range, and from there the route drops to Back Ridge Hut in about 3–4 hours before continuing to the bivouac via Sterns Saddle and along the ridge (about 1–2 hours). Strong-to-gale north-westerly winds and very cold southerly changes are possible, with winter precipitation including snow.