Old Golden Hills Hut

Old Golden Hills Hut—also known as the Omarukōkā Hut—is a historic backcountry hut in Hawke’s Bay used mainly as a private retreat and hunting base. It’s on Māori land and the hut is reached by helicopter or by multi-day tramping/hunting routes into remote bush country.

Restored for historical preservation, the hut is a small, rustic 6-bunk shelter with basic facilities: bunk beds with mattresses, toilets, and an open fire/heating. Plan to bring your own sleeping bag, food, cooking gear, and personal items; guests are also expected to help keep the hut clean (including firewood and general tidying) as it’s user-maintained.

Access is managed through a land-use operation, and casual public walk-in use isn’t the normal model—arrange in advance. Hunting access tied to the trust’s land-use windows is limited to two periods each year: 1 March–30 May and 1 October–20 December; outside those windows, the land is managed for other uses.