Old Waihohonu Hut

Tongariro National Park, Tūrangi



The oldest existing mountain hut in Aotearoa, and the best outdoor museum you have to hike 3 hours to visit. The original Waihohonu Hut has led many lives - roadhouse, ski lodge, musterer's hut and has many stories to tell.

Apparently the blokes who introduced skis to NZ for the first time, in 1913, stayed in the hut as they figured out how to use them.



This two room hut, one for each gender, was built in 1904 from pit sawn totara and can be found near the new Waihohonu hut on the Tongariro northern circuit. It is clad and roofed in corrugated iron, painted vibrant red, and unconventionally insulated with pumice.


As Shaun Barnett writes in Shelter from the Storm “Old Waihohonu hut provides modern-day trampers with a glimpse of a time past, when travellers braved long, rough journeys on horseback and riverboat, and when skiers were willing to cope with rudimentary gear and poor access.”


The presence of these visitors still remains, their names etched into the woodwork, some dating back to 1918.

Limited 2026 edition Mini Huts



Free Aotearoa Shipping

Orders will ship in the first week of March








︎ Missed out? Next restock due in March 2026. Join our free mailing list to be first in line.