Aren’t we lucky to have public shelters like Arete Hut in such amazing locations. Photo: Peter Laurenson

Tararua Heartland

Features, Off the Beaten Track

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Peter Laurenson

A tramper, occasional climber, photographer, editor and writer, Peter has been adventuring for more than 30 years.

By Peter Laurenson

Visiting the most remote hut in the Tararua Range in mid-winter requires great effort but offers sublime tramping – if the weather holds.

Come over the lip, Pete! It’s sheltered here,” Andy called. Andy Caruthers, my companion on this trip into the Tararua Range, was struggling to control his shivering fingers and lock ‘find’ mode on his Garmin for Arete Hut. Meanwhile, horizontal sleet whipped around us, caught fleetingly in the beams of our headlamps. The tussock-covered tops […]

About the author

Peter Laurenson

Peter is a tramper, occasional climber, photographer, editor and writer. His adventures, spanning 30+ years, come together on his website ‘OccasionalClimber’. Richmond-based, Peter is editor of FMC’s Backcountry and has published three books: Occasional Climber (2013) and Khumbu (2021) and Aotearoa Light (2025).