Are you after a little getaway to break up a long winter? Or something to look forward to this summer? Here are five of NZ’s lesser-known spots for a short break, writes Anna Sarjeant Hike in, hike out: The Mud Hut, Southland How about a genuine backcountry experience in a remote pocket of Southland? It’s certainly not the average mini-break regaled at the water cooler on a Monday. As far removed from the beaten track as you can get, Mud Hut sits atop a mountain on its own private hiking trail an hour south of Queenstown. Guests will need to hike or bike 10km along Welcome Rock Trails to reach the stand-alone, 2-4-person hut: an original stone building constructed by Chinese gold miners in the 1890s and restored in 1990, albeit minimally.
Guests should expect a delightfully ramshackled stay, with bunkbeds and basic amenities, zero power and limited mobile coverage. While the hut’s many merits aren’t modern, there’s ample pleasure to be found in a crackling open fireplace, heated outdoor bath and jaw-dropping views in every direction. The biggest indulgence? Total isolation.
Visit welcomerock.co.nz for this and more rustic experiences in the high country.
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