Panekire Hut — Hotel in North Island

We walked the Waikaremoana track in September with a group of 12. The hut was surrounded in deep snow when we arrived, which was absolutely beautiful and there was wood for us to light a fire. Unfortunately the fire did not warm the hut much at all - even after several hours of burning, possibly because it is located on an external wall in a poorly insulated hut (instead of in the middle of the room). The floors were a freezing cold chipboard that soaked up water. But otherwise the hut was just as basic as you might expect when tramping/camping. We could drink water...

Big disappointment for us. The place is quite run down, which is quite surprising for a great walk hut and for the money you have to pay for it. But that doesn't really bother us. What bothers is is that they can't even provide wood (let alone dry wood) so people can get warm in the middle of winter. Probably not much of an issue in a summer, but DOC should really do a better job in the winter. They get...

Enjoyed fabulous weather when I hiked around Lake Waikaremoana in February a few years ago. Recommend being prepared for all weather and bringing layers, as weather can be changeable. Te Urewera's ancient forest with native trees and birdlife is a taonga, a treasure to be appreciated every step of the way. We saved the hike up to Panekire until last. The views...