Crown Basin Turk
Crown Basin Turk is a backcountry hut near the Wakatipu basin, run by the Mountain Turk Club, and it’s used for both day shelter and overnight stops. The hut was upgraded in 2020 to a fully insulated, double-glazed model, and the hut site has excellent cellphone reception; it sits as an outlier that isn’t part of the Mahu Whenua Traverse route network, but is worth visiting on its own.
The hut accommodates up to 4 people and has a pit toilet. Access is not via an officially formed, marked track; navigation by map and/or GPS is required, and the club’s access directions describe starting points either by walking up Tobins Track from Arrowtown or by driving to the Bracken Saddle track area via Glencoe Road, then continuing along 4WD track approaches to Crown Peak and dropping to the hut. A typical fastest approach time is about 3–4 hours, with an alternate descent navigation route that involves crossing a stream near 920 metres and then rejoining an old water race farther downslope.