Image: Horst Meyer | Creative Commons
Small tin building.
Tailings Hut

Located in Oteake Conservation Park in the Otago region

Tailings Hut is 12-bunk hut in the Central Otago area.

The trip to Tailings Hut is an adventure in itself; the 4WD track has numerous river crossings and steep rocky sections. Travelling through this vast tussock country with big skies reveals a Graham Sydney painting in every direction.

Tailings Hut is a product of three huts with different histories. The two bunkrooms were once single man quarters used for construction of the Roxburgh Hydro Dam. The larger building, built in the 1930s by farmers who previously held the occupation licence for the site, is now the kitchen.

Tailings Hut - a successful volunteer working holiday - Conservation blog 12 March 2012

Fees

  • Adult (18+ years): $10 per night
  • Youth (5–17 years): $5 per night
  • Child/Infant (0–4 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 that gives unlimited use at most Standard and Serviced huts for a 12 month period.

About hut tickets and passes | Retailers that sell hut tickets and passes

From Naseby turn into Mount Buster Road. Continue to the end of Mt Buster Road on the 4WD track to Tailings Hut. It is 2 hr travel in a vehicle from the start of Oteake Conservation Park to the hut. Leave gates as you find them.

Location

NZTopo50 map sheet: CB16
Grid/NZTM2000 coordinates: E1381982, N5029195

Tailings Hut has a shared use arrangement with leaseholders for mustering purposes. Contact the DOC office to check its availability and find out about track conditions.

This hut has a fireplace and it is a good idea to take wood with you as there are few trees in this tussock landscape.