Flora Hut

Flora car park is the starting point for Mt Arthur Track and Mt Arthur Summit Route. Flora car park is located 10 km up Graham Valley Road at 930 m elevation. Graham Valley Road begins off Motueka River West Bank Road near Ngatimoti, and is approximately 65 km from Nelson and 21 km from Motueka. Be aware that the road is steep, narrow and unsealed, and can be icy in winter. A 4WD vehicle is recommended. It is also prone to slips, so check the DOC or TDC websites for road access updates.

At the car park there is a toilet and a shelter named Flora Kiosk, where you can view maps and track information, and enter your intentions in the logbook.

From Flora car park, Flora-Salisbury Track begins as a 4WD track, climbing gently to Flora Saddle (995 m), where Mt Arthur Track branches to the left. From the saddle, the track descends gradually through silver beech forest. You will notice the predator traps along the side of the track; these are maintained by Friends of Flora, who have been running a trapping and monitoring programme for two decades. Whio are now re-populating Flora Stream, one of the headwater tributaries of the Tākaka River, which flows in the gully on the right side of the track. After 2 km you’ll reach Flora Hut, which is located in a grassy clearing.

The hut’s design is somewhat distinctive among backcountry huts, as it is actually two conjoined huts with a firewood bay in the middle. Built by the Mount Balloon Scenic Hut Trust Board, the hut was completed in 1927, and was promoted to Nelson locals as a destination for wilderness excursions in the Mt Arthur area.

In the clearing outside the hut, there are picnic tables and plenty of room to pitch tents.

From Flora Hut, you can return the way you came. Alternatively, you can return via Mt Arthur Hut, or for a more challenging circuit, Lodestone.

To return via Mt Arthur Hut, take the Flora Hut-Mt Arthur Hut Track which leads up the grassy slope immediately behind the hut. The initial kilometre of this track is entirely uphill, as it climbs steadily through silver beech forest. Gaining the crest of a ridge at 1300 m elevation, the track emerges into sections of tussock meadow, providing views of Mt Arthur and further into Kahurangi National Park. The track continues along this ridge to the junction with the Mt Arthur Summit Route, a short distance uphill of Mt Arthur Hut.

Mt Arthur is an alpine environment, so proper preparation and care should be made to ensure a safe trip. The track reaches a high elevation and is exposed above the tree line, so proper outdoor clothing is essential. You must always be prepared for freezing conditions and take extreme care if snow and ice and are present. Be sure to check the forecast for Kahurangi National Park; do not rely on the Nelson or Motueka weather forecasts as the alpine conditions are likely to be drastically different. The karst landscape is riddled with caves, sinkholes and bluffs; do not deviate off the track, especially in winter, when snow will disguise the true ground surface.

See the Mountain Safety Council website for useful information on preparing for the outdoors.