Lake Sumner Forest Park - Three Mile Stream Hut, Mackenzie Hut, No3 Hut and Hurunui Hut

Wild Waitangi Weekend – Four Days in Lake Sumner Forest Park

Some trips leave you tired. Others leave you restored. And then there are those that leave you grinning for days afterward. 2024's Wild Waitangi Weekend was the latter — four days, 75 kilometres, four huts, and a hut-bagging milestone of 250 huts.

Day 1 – Loch Katrine to Three Mile Stream Hut

We left Ashburton early Saturday morning, heading for Lake Sumner and the end of the road at Loch Katrine, still cloaked in morning stillness. The forecast had been questionable, but as we shouldered our packs and set off toward McMillan Stream, the clouds seemed to be holding back, there was some drizzle about.

The route to Three Mile Stream Hut wound through quiet forest and open river flats, before heading into a more gorged section requiring multiple crossings of the stream. The water glinted in between stands of beech forest. The climb to reach the saddle at 839 metres, steep but short; it felt good to be moving, boots finding their rhythm on the track. By late afternoon, we reached the hut — small, welcoming, and just the right place to settle in for the night.

Day 2 – Three Mile Stream to Mackenzie Hut

Sunday began with a retrace — back down McMillan Stream, the sound of running water our constant companion. We left the familiar behind when we struck out along the river flats to Mackenzie Stream.

The climb up to Mackenzie Hut followed the stream closely, the bush opening occasionally to give us glimpses of the surrounding hills. The hut appeared like a reward at the end of a steady climb — tucked into the landscape, ready for another evening of backcountry comfort.

Day 3 – Mackenzie Hut to Hurunui Hut

Monday took us back down Mackenzie Stream before turning toward the broad Hurunui River flats. The valley felt expansive here, the river braiding and rejoining, glinting under a sky that kept teasing us with its changing moods.

We crossed the river, boots splashing through the cold water, and climbed up to bag hut number three for the trip. That milestone — 250 huts bagged — felt quietly momentous. A brief stretch of Te Araroa trail led us down to Hurunui Hut, our home for the final night.

Day 4 – Hurunui Hut to Loch Katrine

Tuesday morning, the pack straps felt familiar on my shoulders, and my boots had moulded perfectly to the miles. We followed the track back to Loch Katrine, the lake’s still waters a fitting endpoint for our circuit.

The trip’s stats don’t quite tell the whole story — 75 km, four huts, weather that was better than expected, terrain that was easier than it could have been, and scrub bashing that was very much… off the chart. What they don’t capture is the joy of moving through these valleys, the satisfaction of reaching each hut, and the simple pleasure of a long weekend in good company.

Enjoyment: 10/10

Ease of terrain: 8/10

Weather: 9/10

Scrub bashing: Off the chart

Lake Sumner Forest Park delivered once again — a perfect way to mark another Wild Waitangi Weekend and a new hut-bagging milestone.

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