If only the walls could talk

Kokatahi Bivouac

Like HEADQUARTERS, our other hut has a proud history.  A relic of a bygone era, yet some 60 years younger than Headquarters, the Kokatahi Bivouac is infused with New Zealand hunting and tramping folklore.

Originally located above the upper Kokatahi River, just above the confluence with a large unnamed side-creek that drains Bastion Ridge, The Rampart, and Mt. Ambrose. The hut was built in 1957 as a base for government employed deer cullers, it was in such a remote area that building materials and supplies had to be air dropped or found on site. 

In 2008 the Kokatahi was decommisioned for something more modern but its legacy and that of the deer cullers will live on as sits proudly at Stravon - in the high country, surrounded by deer... just how she likes it.

As you take off your boots at the front door (the only door by the way,) spare a thought for the others that have gone before you.
For 60 odd years this simple yet effective hut served as a timely shelter for many a weary hunter, angler or tramper and at times the Kokatahi must’ve looked more like a Hilton than a well weathered outpost.

The Hut of Candles as it was affectionately called by it’s visitors. The name came about thanks largely to candles being left behind by visitors which were then used as lighting and heating. In time, people knew to bring candles to the hut for the next person and with that the Kokatahi Biv got its nickname. So much so that it is even etched into the huts side.

Today, this hut inside a hut not only serves as a shelter to preserve the Kokatahi but as a homage to the past.
Step inside… you’re now the latest player etched into it’s illustrious past.