John Tait Hut
Located in Nelson Lakes National Park in the Nelson/Tasman region
Introduction
This is a serviced 27-bunk hut in the Nelson Lakes area.Facilities
- Heating
- Mattresses
- Toilets - non-flush
- Water from tap - not treated, boil before use
Seasonal restrictions
No firewood supplied from May to September. Gather dead wood from surrounding forests. Do not fell or break branches off live trees.
Heritage
John Tait (1901 to 1982), was president of the Nelson Tramping Club from 1948. He climbed Mt Travers during a summer holiday with his family and saw the need for a shelter well up the Travers Valley.
He led a volunteer effort to raise funds and to construct the original hut, which opened in 1951. This was five years before Nelson Lakes was gazetted to become a national park. The original hut was decommissioned in 1978 and a new hut was built on the current site, which offers great views from the valley floor to Mt Travers and Mt Cupola.
Fees
Hut fees
1 October – 30 April
- Adult (18+ years): $20 per night
- Youth (11–17 years): $10 per night
- Child/Infant: (0–10 years): free
Before you go, buy 1 Serviced Hut Ticket (green) and 1 Standard Hut Ticket (blue) for adults, or 4 Standard Hut Tickets for both adults and youth for each night's stay. Put these in the honesty box at the hut.
1 May – 30 September
- Adult (18+ years): $15 per night
- Youth (11–17 years): $7.50 per night
- Child/Infant: (0–10 years): free
Before you go, buy 1 Serviced Hut Ticket (green) or 3 Standard Hut Tickets (blue for adults, yellow for youth) for each night's stay. Put these in the honesty box at the hut. Or buy a Backcountry Hut Pass for unlimited use at most Serviced and Standard huts for a 6 or 12 month period.
Fees to camp at the hut
- Adult (18+ years): $5 per night
- Youth (11–17 years): $2.50 per night
- Child/Infant (0–10 years): free
Before you go, buy 1 Standard Hut Ticket (blue for adults, yellow for youth) for each night's stay. Put this in the honesty box at the hut. Or buy a Backcountry Hut Pass for unlimited use at most Serviced and Standard huts for a 6 or 12 month period.
Passes
Backcountry Hut Passes can only be used in this hut from 1 May to 30 September.
Backcountry Hut Passes cannot be used from 1 October to 30 April.
- Upper Travers Hut: 3 hr
- Cuploa Hut: 2 hr 30 min
Tracks to this hut
Location
NZTopo50 map sheet: BS24
Grid/NZTM2000 coordinates: E1580812, N5352927
Altitude: 800 m above sea level
Keep alpine lakes and tarns free of lindavia (lake snow)
The invasive alga lindavia is present in Lakes Rotoiti and Rotoroa. It causes lake snow – a sticky mucus that hangs below the surface of the water.
Stop lindavia getting to the pristine alpine lakes in Nelson Lakes National Park:
- Make sure all your gear is completely dry for 48 hours before swimming or taking water from any alpine lake or tarn, including Rotomaninitua/Lake Angelus.
- Do not touch the water in Rotomairewhenua/Blue Lake and Rotopōhueroa/Lake Constance.
- Be extra careful if you’ve recently swum or filled a drink bottle from Lakes Rotoiti or Rotoroa.
Contacts
| Rotoiti / Nelson Lakes Visitor Centre | |
| Phone: | +64 3 521 1806 |
| Fax: | +64 4 471 1117 |
| Email: | nelsonlakesvc@doc.govt.nz |
| Address: |
View Road St Arnaud |
| Postal Address: |
PO Box 55 St Arnaud 7053 |
| Full office details | |
| Whakatū / Nelson Visitor Centre | |
| Phone: | +64 3 546 9339 |
| Fax: | +64 4 471 1117 |
| Email: | nelsonvc@doc.govt.nz |
| Address: |
Millers Acre/Taha o te Awa 79 Trafalgar Street Nelson 7010 |
| Postal Address: |
Private Bag 5 Nelson 7042 |
| Full office details | |