Just as we pegged it into Daley’s Flat hut the sky opened and let out water of an impressive volume. We were expecting the hut to be full of our newly met compadres from Dart hut, but as we flung back the door and squelched in we found we had the place to ourselves. Somehow we’d managed to sneak past them all on track.
And so after revving up the fire and nestling our boots round about it, insoles poking out like a family of goretex enhanced rabbits, we set to work on the evening’s sustenance. Tonight was a special night. The inception of a brand new fusion of tastes never before conceived of. It was daring. Some might say crazy. But it’s boldness paid off ten fold.
May we proudly bring you, the magic of…. TerryItzo!
TerryItzo Ingredients:
Chorizo fried in Butter with Onions
Instant Cheesey Mash with added diced fresh Onion
Teriyaki Sauce to stir into the Choritzo mixture
Spring onion to garnish
Yum yum! Oh yes!
And so, trapped in the hut for one more night, Cookie set to work with the axe, and I got stuck in with the kindling to make FIRE. Very satisfying indeed. There’s not been enough fire action on this holiday so far. It’s so much fun as well! We tucked into our instant noodles and salami dinner, and sipped our rum and lime cocktails until the sun went down. Bedtime.
After last nights diminutive branch burning session, I wanted to get some proper logs for the fire tonight. I located a dead, well not really a tree, more like a large shrubbery which had all of it’s easy to hack off branches already removed, so I set about it’s more substantial trunk. First with an axe, maybe it was blunt, most likely I’m rubbish at axe-wielding, anyhow after a few minutes I was exhausted and had hardly made a dent in it.. I went back to the hut to get the saw, which made much faster progress, but not that fast, after sawing through it I was totaly worn out. I take my hat off to lumberjacks, it’s a lot harder than it looks!
Brilliant ‘vintage’ hut here. None of your girly safety warnings here. Axes, hatchets, and bone saws on every shelf, and a giant roll of bog roll. What else do you need? A proper man’s hut. Hand painted signs and maps in inches on the walls, it even invited you to take a rain gauge reading from the milk churn outside. Cool! 
Cookie and I burst into Hurunui Hut, dumping our stuff in a mound we pegged it back out into the woods, grabbing arm-fulls of twigs, and dragging small fallen trees back. Some serious rain was coming and if we wanted dry boots for tomorrow, we’d better get some fire on the go!
We arrived at the hut shortly after lunch and umm-ed & argh-ed about carrying onto the nearby hot spring in the afternoon to camp. But were a bit reluctant to camp in this sandfly infested valley and slightly worried that it might piss it down. The next hut, Hurunui No.3, was 4 hours away which wouldn’t leave us much time to enjoy the hot pools so we decided to stay here tonight. Good decision! Shortly after while out collecting firewood the rain clouds finally caught us up and promptly pissed it down all evening.
Well I can’t claim to be a dawn riser, but luckily I have a Cookie with me who can’t resist a colour changing mountain! :) So I generally get to peruse the awesome photos over breakfast instead ;) Lovely!
We ended up staying at this hut 3 nights in a row, might even be the longest we’ve ever stayed in one place over the past 5 months! Well we didn’t exactly stay still, we kept on venturing out in different directions, but it was interesting to see the different characters come and go. Definitely has the best view of any hut we’ve stayed at before!
Tonight we clocked the empty old wardens hut, and bagged it. It’s awesome as it’s got an open fire. Quite rare these days as so many huts burn down! We got tucked up snug in our maggot bags, full of hot rum drink, and gazed over at the glowing embers… All warm, dry and sleepy. These simple things feel like ultimate luxury.
The long slog back to the hut this afternoon was quite hard work.. Even though it was technically downhill, it’s the sort of terrain that’s no quicker going up or down. It was almost dark when we returned, we had to cook our dinner by candle light.
That’s right! We only hike in style! Not only do we have crisp sandwiches for lunch but just check out that view ;) … This photo actually makes the hut look far more awesome than it was inside. But it’s all about what’s outside in the mountains. Any solid roof is a luxury, be it gargoyled with rabid Kea or not :)
Aspiring Hut was the first NZAC hut we’ve come across (New Zealand Alpine Club), our hut passes aren’t legal tender here so I hope there aren’t too many more! Although it was a very posh affair, stone construction, flushing toilets, wood paneling on the walls and this awesome window with the view toward Mt Aspiring (hidden under the cloud at the end of the valley).
Our makeshift pizza oven was jealously observed by fellow hut guest, many a picture was taken of the slowly cooking pizzas, I think we might of stated a trend here!
