Hapi Daze Hut
Ruahine Forest Park • Hawke’s Bay
Alerts
NIWA weather risks
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Forecast point: Rangiwahia Hut (1327m) · 15.8km away
Check the DOC website for current alerts and conditions before you go. This site gets current alert info from DOC, but is not an official source of information.
- About
- This is a basic four-bunk hut in the Hawke's Bay region. This site also offers plenty of camping space.
- Facilities
- Heating
- Mattresses
- Toilets - non-flush
- Water from tap - not treated, boil before use
- Water supply
About this hut
- Water source - Rainwater tank
- Heating - open fire
The first Hapi Daze Hut was built by Stacker Johnston in January 1958. For this hut, he used local materials and lined it with tin to keep the rain out. The Hapi Daze Hut as we know it today was built by Stacker ten years later, in January 1968, with help from a local building apprentice.
The land was purchased by the Crown in the 1960s. The area where the hut stands was commonly known as Māori Flat.
Fees and bookings
Fees
Free
Getting there
No DOC tracks lead to Hapi Daze Hut. Visitors should not expect DOC track markers or formed tracks.
Access via the Makaretu River from Kashmir Road
The hut can be accessed via the Makaretu River from Kashmir Road-end via Awatere Hut or from Makaretu Hut. Leave the river at the junction of the North and South Makaretu Rivers, then climb steeply before sidling across to Hapi Daze Hut.
Access via Makaretu River from Paget Road
The Ruahine Forest Park can be accessed by following the Makaretu River from Paget Road, noting the following conditions:
- Walking access only. Follow all signage and marker poles.
- No dogs are allowed up the river due to the risk of sheep measles and the presence of whio.
- Do not use this access if the river is flooded. Turn back and wait for the water level to drop.
- Access is closed from 1 August to 10 November for lambing. Consider Ngamoko or Kashmir Roads as alternative access points during this time.
- The ad medium filum aquae (AMF) principle applies to parts of the hydro parcel (river bed). This means that the permission of the neighbouring property is needed to access to the midline of the river at many points. Follow the marker poles to stay on the parts of the hydro parcel where access permission is not needed. Simply following the river will mean that you stray onto private property and may be trespassed.
- Hapi Daze Hut is about 500 m from the Forest Park boundary via a well-formed and marked track.
- There is some parking near the Paget Road bridge. Park on the side of the gravel road, keeping clear of gateways and access to the river or shingle bed. Vehicles blocking access will be towed at the owner’s expense. This area may be subject to flooding at times; vehicles are parked at the owner’s risk.
Location
NZTopo50 map sheet: BL36
Grid/NZTM2000 coordinates: E1868201, N5567818
Know before you go
Stay safe when crossing rivers and streams
If you plan to cross unbridged rivers or side streams, know how to cross safely and be prepared for if you cannot cross.
Do not cross if the river or stream is flooded, you cannot find safe entry and exit points or are unsure it’s safe. Turn back or wait for the river to drop. If in doubt, stay out.
NIWA river flow forecasts: View a video of national followed by regional river flows
Nearby
Weather
Forecast at the hut