Ministry of Works Hut

Ministry of Works Historic Hut is usually accessed from Heaphy Track. The most commonly used route to the hut is known as the Blue Shirt Creek Route, which begins at the Heaphy Track footbridge across Blue Shirt Creek, between Saxon Hut and James Mackay Hut. This footbridge is very close to the halfway point of the Heaphy Track, meaning the time required to reach it from either the Aorere Valley or Kōhaihai end is similar. It is closer to James Mackay Hut (4.4 km, 1 hr 15 min) than it is to Saxon Hut (7 km, 2 hr).

Blue Shirt Creek Route is a largely unmarked, unofficial route, and accordingly has been given a hard physical rating. Given the lack of markings, there also appears to be more than one route used by visitors to the hut, meaning others may not follow the exact course described below. If you have not been to the hut before, navigating through the complex, disorienting topography of Mackay Downs can be very difficult without appropriate navigation equipment, especially in poor visibility. It should therefore only be attempted by those with suitable preparation and off-track navigation experience.

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From the Blue Shirt Creek footbridge, follow the pink-tagged route on the true right of the creek, which leads into the bush along the western side of the gully. The initial 500 m passes through stunted forest and dense scrub before following the creek more closely as the gully widens. Meandering back and forth across the gully, the route crosses the creek several times, then swings west as you leave the creek and approach a saddle. The tags have ended by this point, but the way ahead is marked by occasional stone cairns. At the saddle, pass through a section of dense scrub before emerging onto the south-eastern edge of a broad area of open moorland.

Cross the moorland directly in a north-westerly direction and follow the inconspicuous gully leading westward, scrub-bashing your way to another saddle. From here, deviate right into another stream gully, which leads to another broad open area, with granite tors scattered along the ridge to the north. Climb through this area towards the tors, where there are views back towards the Gouland Range, then drop into a steep gully to the north-west, where the forest extends down to the stream. Once through this section, the gully widens and continues on a weaving course to the north-west, gradually opening into a broad, flat-bottomed valley across which the creek meanders.

From here, the remainder of the route to the hut is relatively straightforward. Follow the gully roughly northward, travelling along its often-boggy floor. Pass the huge granite boulder on the right and you will reach the hut, tucked against the forest edge at the very head of the Juno Creek catchment.

For most visitors, the easiest way to return to the Heaphy Track is by retracing the route described above.

From the hut it is possible to reach Kahurangi Point, though this is an advanced undertaking requiring 10–12 hr and is suitable only for those who are appropriately experienced and prepared.

There is also another route that partly follows a trap line from Otepo trig, near James Mackay Hut, though again this is an unofficial, unmarked route.

Also known as Mackay Downs Hut, the hut was built by the Ministry of Works in 1970 as a base for surveyors investigating a proposed road between Golden Bay and Karamea, known colloquially as the ‘Heaphy Highway’. The Ministry conducted extensive surveys through the area during the late 1960s and early 1970s, with Mackay Downs forming a key part of the proposed route. Several alignments were considered, including routes incorporating substantial sections of the Heaphy Track. The proposal became the subject of considerable public opposition, including the formation of the Organisation to Preserve the Heaphy in 1973, and was eventually abandoned. At the time, the area was within Northwest Nelson Forest Park; Kahurangi National Park would not be officially gazetted until nearly a quarter of a century later. Proposals for a road connection between Karamea and Golden Bay have resurfaced periodically in the decades since, though none have gained the level of official consideration afforded to the 1970s proposal.

Mackay Downs form a broad area of gently undulating upland terrain, developed on an ancient granite erosion surface and dissected by numerous small streams and shallow valleys. The infertile, poorly drained granite soils support a mosaic of stunted forest, shrubland, tussockland and boggy pakihi, with considerably more forest cover than the neighbouring Gouland Downs. The forest and scrub contain a range of species tolerant of the cold, wet and infertile conditions, including yellow-silver pine, bog pine, pink pine, inaka, southern rātā, mountain beech and mānuka. Scattered granite tors rise above the surrounding vegetation, while occasional limestone outcrops support locally different plant communities. The combination of high rainfall, poor drainage, low soil fertility and exposure gives the downs their characteristically low, scrubby vegetation.

As stated above, reaching Ministry of Works Hut requires a good level of off-track navigation experience. Beyond the initial section of Blue Shirt Creek Route, there is no consistently marked route, and the complex terrain of low ridges, boggy stream gullies, scrub and open areas can make navigation difficult. The Mackay Downs are one of the wettest parts of the country, and poor visibility can make route-finding considerably more challenging. You should carry appropriate navigation equipment and be confident using it.