Two DOC huts on Aotea/Great Barrier Island have been spruced up ahead of a busy summer.
Over six days, sixteen Backcountry Trust volunteers worked alongside DOC volunteers and staff, with support from Dulux and Skywork Helicopters, to paint and maintain Mt Heale hut and Kaiaraara hut.
These two huts allow trampers to walk the Aotea track, a multi-day hike that takes walkers past hot pools, through wetlands, and up to the heights of Hirakimata/Mt Hobson.
One of the crew, Backcountry Trust (BCT) volunteer Sam Woodham, says it was an enormous undertaking.
"It was a big weekend with volunteers from across the North Island – including Whakatane, Auckland and Morrinsville. We arrived at the huts on Thursday evening and immediately put in a few hours on the tools as we knew bad weather was coming."
The teams and materials were helicoptered into the huts along with 140 litres of Dulux product. They undertook maintenance jobs, installed new furnishings, water blasted, stained the exterior of Mt Heale, a 20-bunk hut, and painted both the interior and exterior of Kaiaraara a 28-bunk hut.
In the last 10 years BCT has renovated over 300 huts in the back country network. This was the first time BCT have undertaken work in the region of Tāmaki Makaurau - and this is one of over 70 projects in the 2025-26 work programme.
Sam says that he's always wanted to support conservation.
"I see this as a way to use my skills as a tradesperson. I do a lot of hunting, so I know how valuable huts are. The DOC team rewarded us on Monday with a tour around the island, sharing some of the special places," says Sam.
Principal Ranger Karl Fisher is excited to welcome visitors this summer back to the upgraded and freshly painted huts.
"We have been really fortunate to have amazing volunteers and the valued support of Dulux and Skywork to refresh these huts. A special thanks to the volunteer leaders, Sam Woodham and Sarah Millar, along with their enthusiastic teams that have done a transformation on these two well-loved huts. They're looking fantastic."
Dulux has been a DOC partner since 2013 and has provided around 60,000 litres of paint free of charge towards conservation and recreation projects.
Karl says that Aotea is a stunning place to be out naturing.
"The views on the Aotea track are breathtaking - you can look out to across the forest and to islands off the coastline. We've got taonga species like kākā and Great Barrier tree daisy. And we're a dark sky sanctuary so you can gaze at the constellations at night. Come on over and visit!"
The project is part of the Community Huts Programme, a collaboration between DOC and the Backcountry Trust to support volunteers to care for highly valued backcountry huts and tracks. Announced in January, the $4.2 million dollar boost comes from the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL).
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