Dates

The roaster for the Tableland hut warden programme runs from mid-December through to mid-February each year with a trip over the Easter break, Anzac weekend and school holiday period in April.

Volunteers are asked to commit to a 7-night, 8 day trip from Tuesday to Tuesday. When you apply available dates for trips will be emailed to you.

Description

Volunteers are asked to check all the huts from Flora to Balloon Hut during their week. There's no set way to do this, which gives some flexibility to your time in the field. Volunteers can base themselves at the staff hut near Salisbury lodge and can choose which route they will take to do this. You may also like to stay a night in a different hut, although this will need to be arranged and booked prior to leaving.

We also support the idea of a fellow tramper accompanying the hut warden if desired.

Huts to be checked by the warden include:

• Mt Arthur Hut
• Flora Hut
• Upper Gridiron Hut
• Salisbury Lodge
• Balloon Hut
• Gridiron Shelter
• Growler Day Shelter
• Dry Rock Shelter

Tasks

The prime role of a hut warden is to help visitors enjoy their stay in the right way. Your tasks will include:

• ensuring the hut, toilet and surrounds are clean and tidy
• providing information
• checking hut tickets/passes
• undertaking minor maintenance tasks
• passing on maintenance requirements to DOC staff.

Location

Mt Arthur Tableland is a distinctive area between the Cobb, Karamea and Baton Valleys to the north-west of the Motueka Valley, and covers an area of roughly 6,000 ha. The rolling tussock grassland and mixed beech forest offers a mixture of open grassland and beech forest.

Weather

Winter will see severe frosts and snow fall in the coldest months from June to August. In the summer, temperatures are milder but winter conditions can arrive unexpectedly. Rainfall is around 2500 mm per year and falls throughout the year.

What to expect

Accommodation: Salisbury staff hut sleeps 4 and contains a gas cooker, cooking utensils, heating and running water fed from a nearby stream. You are able to sleep in the other huts during the week but this will need to be booked prior to leaving and you will need to take your own cooking equipment as this is not provided in other huts.

You will have to make your own arrangements for accommodation before and after your warden duties in the field. This should be near to Motueka the Monday night before you start as your induction and gear collection will be in the Motueka office around 8.30 am. You will ideally drop the gear back at the Motueka office at the end of your stint and give us any feedback.

Food: A food allowance of $196 will be provided for the team for the week. Volunteers are asked to purchase their own food for the trip and provide a GST receipt (a supermarket receipt is fine) for this food. DOC will then reimburse up to the set amount.

Fitness level required: Fit and experienced back country tramper, capable of walking 4 to 6 hours per day with a heavy pack. You need to walk a minimum of 4–5 hours on tramping tracks (uneven surfaces) with your gear to get to Salisbury lodge Staff hut. 

Skills required: You will need to have experience tramping in the New Zealand back country and staying in DOC huts. You will also need to have a good comprehension of English, enjoy relating to others and have a practical outlook. A knowledge of the Tableland area and Kahurangi National Park is an advantage, and a current first aid certificate is preferable but not essential. A calm and focused ability to deal with an emergency if it happens.

Walking tramping tracks: The Tableland circuit includes all levels of tracks. However the majority are considered tramping tracks. Track categories include a mixture of short walks to walking, tramping and some routes. See Walking and tramping in Kahurangi National Park for more details.

Wasps: Wasps are a known hazard and are particularly common from December until April, mostly in beech forest environments. We provide anti histamines but not epipens for this location.

Safety procedures: Approved volunteers must comply with DOC health and safety policy and arrive prepared with appropriate amounts of food and warm/ water proof clothing and sturdy tramping boots. You will check in with rangers twice a day via radio.

What to bring

You will need to be self-sufficient for a week. You will need a pack, sturdy shoes, sleeping bag, warm clothing and wet weather gear. The staff hut has cooking equipment. You'll receive detailed information about what to bring if your application is successful. You will need your own transport from Motueka to Flora car park and back.

What will be provided for you

Training: Volunteer hut wardens will be taken through an induction before the start of the hut warden stint in the field. The induction will cover how to carry out the duties assigned to them, a health and safety briefing, how to use a radio etc. You will need to be available to attend an induction which usually takes 2 hours and is carried out at the DOC Motueka Office.

Equipment: 

Volunteers will be issued with:

• First aid kit
• Handheld radio
• Personal locator beacon
• DOC volunteer ID badge
• Hut warden manual and associated documents

How to apply