Kōhanga Atawhai – Manson Nicholls Hut
Lewis Pass Scenic Reserve • West Coast
Alerts
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 20-bunk hut in the Greymouth area. It sits on the edge of Lake Daniell.
- Facilities
- Heating
- Mattresses
- Toilets - non-flush
- Water from tap - not treated, boil before use
- Water supply
About this hut
Kōhanga Atawhai – Manson Nicholls Hut sits on the edge of Lake Daniell. You can swim in the shallow lake in the summer or fish for trout.
Facilities
- Bunks in 2 bunkrooms.
- Water source – cold water from rain collection tank.
- Heating.
- Space for camping outside the hut.
- Dedicated fire pits at the hut. Fires are not allowed outside these fire pits.
- Jetty.
- Sleeping bag
- Cooking stove, pots/pans and utensils
- Toilet paper
- Rubbish bag
- Newspaper/firelighters and matches/lighter for the wood burner/fire
- Torch
Heritage
The original hut on this site, Manson-Nicholls Memorial Hut, was constructed in 1976 by members of the Christchurch Tramping Club and The Lake Daniell's Fishing Club in memory of three young trampers who lost their lives nearby in 1974. Brian and Sharon Manson and Phillip Nicholls were killed by a landslide while they sheltered from appalling weather in the old Lake Daniell Fishing Club Hut which was located on the opposite side of the lake.
The current hut was designed and built especially for families and school groups using innovative, sustainable building techniques. It was completed in March 2020.
Fees and bookings
Fees
1 May - 30 September
- Adult (18+ years): $28 per night
- Child/youth (5–17 years): $14 per night
- Infant (0–4 years): free
1 October - 30 April
Weekdays:
- Adult (18+ years): $32 per night
- Child/youth (5–17 years): $16 per night
- Infant (0–4 years): free
Weekends:
- Adult (18+ years): $34 per night
- Child/youth (5–17 years): $17 per night
- Infant (0–4 years): free
1 December - 29 February
Weekdays:
- Adult (18+ years): $36 per night
- Child/youth (5–17 years): $18 per night
- Infant (0–4 years): free
Weekends:
- Adult (18+ years): $38 per night
- Child/youth (5–17 years): $19 per night
- Infant (0–4 years): free
Backcountry Hut Passes can be used at this hut.
About hut tickets and passes | Retailers that sell hut tickets and passes
Fees to camp at the hut
Before you go, buy Hut Tickets for each night's stay. Put this in the honesty box at the hut. Or buy a Backcountry Hut Pass or Campsite Pass.
About hut tickets and passes | About campsite passes | Retailers that sell hut tickets and passes
Bookings
Bookings are open for stays up to 30 June 2027.
- If no availability shows online for your dates, the hut is fully booked.
- No spaces are kept for visitors arriving without a booking.
- Phone and in‑person bookings made at a visitor centre incur a $10 service fee.
- Same‑day bookings are available online until 8 pm if spaces remain.
Book Kōhanga Atawhai - Manson Nicholls Hut online.
Your hut booking is for any bunk bed, not for a specific bunk bed – select your bunk bed on arrival.
Getting there
The hut is 3 hours walk from nearest road end on the Lake Daniell Track.
The track starts at Marble Hill Campsite, 5 km east of Springs Junction on the Lewis Pass Highway (SH7). Turn off the highway onto a gravel road and drive several hundred metres till you come to a shelter on the left hand side.
Note that the 4WD track and hut on Station Creek/Sherriff River, 1.5 km north of the head of Lake Daniell, are located on private land. Access is only possible via Station Creek with permission from the landowners.
Tracks to this hut
Location
Topo50 map sheet: BT23
Grid/NZTM2000 coordinates: E1541459, N5316142
Nearby
Weather
Forecast at the hut