Over four days in April, 32 Victoria University of Wellington Tramping Club (VUWTC) members bagged all 46 huts in the Tararua Range. 

“Well really, 43 huts, three bivvies, plus three unofficial huts and a water tank,” chief guide Kate Morris said. “It was a massive success.” 

The club did it last year and missed two huts due to the weather closing in. “That makes the success this year even sweeter.”

This year, the weather held. “The wind did pick up to gale force on Monday, though, which led to some type-two fun for those still on the tops,” Morris said.

She said if Facebook comments can be believed, this year’s event could be the first successful ‘bag all the huts’ since 2000. 

“The spirit of the trip was akin to that of a Barry Crump novel: just a group of good keen trampers crossing alpine ridges and exploring old Forest Service huts,” assistant chief guide Max Honiss said.

VUWTC runs the event “whenever someone gets around to organising it”. This year the club sent out hikers on 10 different trips to visit every hut.

The ‘hardest bag’ award went to Mid King Biv, due to the gales, cliffs and “soul-destroying” amount of leatherwood that the team had to battle to get there.