Three days of hard work to clean up the old Pouri Hut site in Whanganui National Park has been a fitting send-off for a retiring Pipiriki ranger.
The trip into the Matemateāonga Range was Department of Conservation Ranger Shane Woolley's last helicopter mission prior to his retirement at the end of this month.
"We had a good team in there," says Shane. "We removed all the burnt iron from the old hut, cleaned up a few trees for safety – it's all clean and level now, like there was never a hut. We also brought in a water collector, so visitors don't get caught out.
"The three days out there were all hard work and laughter, which is what my time at DOC has been about," says Shane, while packing up his DOC accommodation in Pipiriki.
Shane's initial job with DOC in Pipiriki was meant to last six months.
"Then 26 years later…," he laughs.
"The place grabs a hold of you, it's hard to get away from the river. And there's nothing like this team, you can't beat these funny, cheeky buggers!"
"It's been an amazing time and not just on the home front, either. Working with DOC gave me the opportunity to deploy internationally to fight fires in Canada, and Australia several times in the last ten years or so. Their fires are huge and angry; I will never forget those life-changing experiences."
"But we all gotta move on sometime, and I've got mokos to spoil", Shane says.
"I'm definitely going to miss it all."
The 11 December 2025 fire destroyed the Pouri Hut, with Fire and Emergency New Zealand unable to determine a cause. Wood burners and cooking equipment were ruled out.
Visitors planning on naturing along the Matemateonga Track are urged to bring their own tent if they plan to stay overnight between Oamari and Ngapurua Huts.
DOC Whanganui is working on options for a replacement hut.
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