Mini Huts
by Kemi NikoCollectable tramping huts
Made with the spirit and integrity of the backcountry; from salvaged materials to handcrafted construction.
Feb 2026
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.
Previous Mini Hut Editions
2023: Poet | Hooker | Brewster | SF70 | Cone | Bealey Spur | Mingha Biv | Chaffey
2024: Carrington | Ivory Lake | Slaty Creek | Syme | Te Waio | Mt Brown | Field | Iron Whare
2025: Blue Range | SF70 | Bob’s Hut | Dominie Biv | Kotepato | Top Butler | Thomas River | Price Flat | Kiwi Flat Hut
Mini Hut Ingredients
Made in AotearoaTin can steel, reclaimed rimu or pine, hours of time and attention, years of experimentation, a healthy dose of hut obsession.
Every hut comes with a corrigated info card & map hidden in its chimney
Share the
Mini Hut Love
Your favourite huts on greeting cards and postcards for all occassions
Post Cards
Each postcard features a Mini Hut (with its name and map on the reverse) and has rounded corners to give that vintage feel.
South Island Huts - 8 Postcards
North Island Huts - 8 Postcards
Full Set - 13 Postcards
Full selection here. Add any hut preferences in the ‘notes’ when you place your order
Last year we reimagined one of Aotearoa’s most iconic backcountry traditions, signing the DOC hut logbook, in a new creative journal for Aotearoa trampers.
Inside you’ll find sketching games and prompts, contributions sent in from real trampers and plenty of pages to fill with your own nature inspired creativity. It explores the connection between time spent outdoors, creativity and mental wellbeing with a sense of humour and fun.
See what’s inside. 140mm x 148mm, 120 pages. Limited 2025 edition.
Greeting Cards
Each greeting card has a full colour image on the front, hut name and map on the back and is blank inside for your message, whatever the occasion. Includes high quality NZ made envelope.
Handful - 6 Cards
The Collection - 11 Cards
Full selection here. Add any hut preferences in the ‘notes’ when you place your order
Cards and Misc Shipping
We’ve tried to make these items as affordable as possible. We gratefully appreciate you selecting a paid shipping option for orders under $150. All orders are usually packed and sent within 5 days.
Many thanks, Niko
Many thanks, Niko