The six-bunk John Reid Hut lies on a south-facing bench, at the bush edge on the flanks of the spectacular Arthur Range in Kahurangi National Park.

At an altitude of 1250m, it has an unobstructed view of the Wangapeka catchment and, notably, the Mt Owen Massif – a stunning assortment of grey summits jutting above the Rolling River Valley like a series of gun turrets, primed and ready to fire.

Chummies Track is the standard route in, and the shortest. It rises steadily from the Wangapeka, climbing an undulating bush-clad ridge to the hut just below the crest of the Arthur Range.

Reaching the range summit is easy enough from the hut via a poled route, and offers grand views of the Karamea Valley. There are two difficulties: there’s no water en-route, and the Wangapeka must be forded to access the track.