Tussock Hut
Tussock Hut is a Department of Conservation backcountry hut in Kaweka Forest Park. It sits at the upper (northern) end of Tussock Valley on a tributary of Ngaawapurua (Harkness) Stream, and was built in 1964 (upgraded in 2012). Use is for overnight backcountry stops and it makes a good base for tramps within Kaweka Forest Park.
Sleeping and key facilities include 6 bunk beds, a wood-burning stove for heating, water from a rainwater tank or nearby stream, and a meat safe. The toilet is a long-drop-style pit latrine, and there is a dog kennel. Standard hut tickets are not required because no booking is used—stays are first come, first served.
Tussock Hut uses a hut ticket system for payment: buy a Standard Hut Ticket for each night and place it in the honesty box at the hut. Fees are listed as $10 per night for adults (18+), $5 per night for youth (5–17), and free for children/infants (0–4). A backcountry hut pass can also be used for unlimited stays at most standard and serviced huts for 12 months. A helipad is located about 25 metres behind the hut.
Access and approach options include: Boyd's Lodge (about 3 hours, with fording of the Ngaruroro River that needs safe conditions after heavy rain), or a multi-day walk starting from Makahu Saddle carpark / Kaweka Road, or Makahu Roadend (with longer travel times to reach the hut). Formed tracks lead south to Harkness Hut (up to about 3 hours) and west to Boyd's Lodge (about 2.5 hours by fording the Ngaruroro River).