Image: Brian Dobbie | ©
Kime Hut.
Kime Hut

Located in Tararua Forest Park and Ōtaki Forks area in the Wairarapa and Wellington/Kapiti regions

Kime is a standard 20 bunk hut on the Southern Crossing.

Kime Hut is located in the western Tararua Forest Park, below Hut Mound (1440m).  It is part of the popular Southern Crossing, offering an alpine refuge.

This hut sits above the bushline – there is no heating so it can get very cold.

Heritage

The first Kime Hut was opened in June 1930. It was named after E. J. Kime, who died on the Southern Crossing in 1922. During the 1930s, it was a popular skiing base. In 1978, the Tararua Tramping Club (with assistance from the New Zealand Forest Service) replaced the original hut. The current hut was built and opened in 2014.

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

Kime Hut is best accessed via Otaki Forks.

Ōtaki Forks is 19 km inland from Ōtaki township – approximately 1 hr 30 min drive from Wellington or Palmerston North. The easiest turnoff from SH1 is at Ōtaki Gorge Road, just south of the SH1 bridge over the Ōtaki River. The last 5 km of the Gorge Rd is closed due to a slip. Access is by walking only.

There is an emergency track that you can walk to gain access to Ōtaki Forks. It is 5 km long and can be accessed 200 m past the locked gate on the Ōtaki Gorge Road. 

Approximate times from nearest huts

Tracks to this hut

Location

NZTopo50 map sheet: BP33
Grid/NZTM2000 coordinates: E1791234, N5465106