Love our Huts
Caring for our huts — together.
Our huts are more than places to rest — they’re where we shelter storms, share stories, and connect with the wild. They’re also a base for important conservation work. Our network of public huts is the envy of the world – let’s care for it together.
This summer, we’re inviting you to register a hut or more to give them a spring clean and a little love.
Last year, hundreds of us showed how much we care. This year, we’re going bigger — with more time, more huts, and more ways to help. Whether it’s your local favourite or one you’ve always wanted to visit, now’s the time to head in and show it some love.
How does it work?
1. Pick your hut(s), plan your trip
Choose one, two, or as many huts as you’d like to visit. In our registration forms, we’ve tagged some close-to-the-road huts especially for families and less experienced groups to register for.
2. Register your trip
Once you know where and when your hut loving will take place, and who will participate, register your trip below. Between 1 November and mid-March you can get out across the hut network. We’re first registering trips through to the end of January, so we know early which huts are covered. February and March will then focus on the huts still waiting — with any unbooked huts opening for Feb–March bookings just before Christmas.
3. Show your love
When time comes, give the hut a spring clean, do a simple health check using our checklist, and snap some photos of recent hut book entries as well photos of the hut. Once you’re back home, share your info with us. More details to follow soon.
Why love our huts?
We all know DOC’s resources are stretched. By giving our huts some care and recording how they’re used, we’re helping free up time for conservation work — while also doing our part to help keep the network in public hands.
It’s a practical way for us, together, to show decision-makers that these places matter — that huts are loved by communities all over Aotearoa.
A few extras for the journey
There’s more than just brooms and cleaning windows — we’re here to have some fun too. This might include:
- Love our huts T-shirts – we’ve created a limited-edition T-shirts — these can be yours for a $55 each with the proceeds going to fund FMC’s vital advocacy work. You don’t have to participate to get one. Watch this space for more info once we have them.
- Joining our Love Our Huts FB group – share your stories, swap tips, see where others have been, and celebrate all the mahi going into our backcountry huts.
- Love Our Huts Dashboard – we’ll post here running stats for all that’s going on – huts registered, huts loved, and a countdown for the huts still needing love. Also numbers of volunteers involved and funds raised for FMC’s advocacy work.
FAQs
Get in touch
For more information, please contact:
Registrations inquiries
North Island: emma.gregg@fmc.org.nz
Upper South Island and West Coast: raymond.ford@fmc.org.nz
Lower South Island (south of Rangitata) and Rakiura: liz.wightwick@fmc.org.nz
Social media and video competition: louise.hammersly@fmc.org.nz
Campaign coordination & media: mick.abbott@fmc.org.nz
Data review team: liz.wightwick@fmc.org.nz
