Walk the length of the Kaweka Range to stay at this cosy bivouac.

North Whetu Biv started life in 1958 as Studholme Saddle Biv and was the first hut built in Kaweka Forest Park by the NZ Forest Service. For some reason known only to the Forest Service, a four-bunk hut was later built 500m away. The biv is a classic ‘dog-box’ crawl-in two-person structure in a pleasant location on the bushline. In April 2022, with the support of DOC and the Backcountry Trust, volunteers relocated it from near Studholme Saddle to its new site, 10km north as the kākā flies, off the northern end of the Kaweka Range. A couple of years later DOC shifted four-bunk Studholme Saddle Hut half a kilometre to the old biv site.

There are a few ways to get to the biv, but the most direct and scenic route is from Makahu Saddle and along the Kaweka Range. Other routes off Makahu Road are via Middle Hill Hut and Camp Spur or via Makino Hut. Both would be a good day’s walk.

From Makahu Saddle car park, Makahu Saddle Hut is a five-minute stroll downhill. Despite being essentially a roadend hut, it is in reasonable nick and gets surprisingly little use. From the hut, the track crosses Pinnacle Stream (usually just a trickle) and zigzags relentlessly up, passing an area where a trial planting of pine species to halt erosion was carried out in the 1960s.

The track crosses a narrow scree-covered ridge that leads around the head of Pinnacle Stream and up to Makahu Spur. Dominie Hut is approximately 20 minutes further uphill from this point, just off the spur on the right. Here the vegetation comprises hardy tussock, some hebe species and mountain daisies.

From the hut, scramble up the steep poled track to the top of the Kaweka Range at 1700m – a decent 720m climb from the car park and very exposed if the wind is strong from either north or south. 

At the signposted junction turn right (north) along the spine of the range for 5km, following well-spaced poles up and down to the signposted junction just below Whetu (1650m). On a clear day the views are fabulous and ever-changing – Ruapehu in snowy glory to the west, the Kaimanawa Range to the northwest and distant Hawke’s Bay to the east. 

Turn right (northeast) to the top of Whetu and after 15min the signposted poled track down Camp Spur appears on your right. Keep going north and a couple of minutes later you arrive at a signpost that marks the newly poled route that takes you north down a spur for 1.5km to North Whetu Biv. If the spur is clagged in you will need to navigate carefully from pole to pole as the route is not entirely straightforward.   

The biv is hidden from above in a relatively sheltered clearing on the edge of the bush at 1320m. 

Return the same way or, if looking for a round trip, return via Camp Spur and Kaweka Flats.