Hut2Hut Archive
Includes articles/posts transferred from Hut2Hut.info about international topics, as well as some others that are not necessarily up to date or very substantive. These serve as an archive for the hut2hut.info website, which will eventually be decommissioned, but which has formed the foundation for the US Hut Alliance site and will be discontinued.
Note: Limit 20 posts per page, so click below to see more.
New Zealand Country Study – Overview & Table of Contents
24 articles summarizing the results of an in-depth study of many aspects of NZ huts. Includes historical and operational perspectives, observations on tramping, culture, reviews of key books, profiles of 9 key players, and more.
New Zealand Hut Heroes: Mick Abbott
Profile of an inspiring landscape architect, futurist and hut nut who challenges folks to think imaginatively about the future of huts. this one of 10 “NZ hut heroes” included as part of my Country Study of huts in New Zealand.
Shelter from the Storm: dream team, genesis and impact
Background on the writing of one of the best books ever written about huts: Shelter from the Storm, by Shaun Barnett, Rob Brown, and Geoff Spearpoint. How the book came to be written, the authors, and the profound impact the book has had on the appreciation of huts in New Zealand.
Meet our new “Pilgrimage Editor” Amanda Wagstaff
Amanda Wagstaff, “pilgrimage editor” for hut2hut.info for several years, introduces herself and discusses how and why she was drawn to the study of pilgrimages.
New Zealand Huts Country Study: introduction
The purpose of this series of web posts is to provide a substantive overview of the world’s largest hut system. Specifically, the aim is to provide — in one place, free of charge — a sense of the origins, purposes, operations, unique features, challenges, people who care about, and cultural meanings of this amazing, collectively owned system of approximately 962 huts. The hope is to create an efficient point of entry to serious study of NZ huts, with pointers for digging deeper.
Shaun Barnett: New Zealand Hut Hero
Profile of a leading photographer, tramper, writer and advocate. By far my best idea when planning a three month study tour of New Zealand huts was to read Shelter from the Storm and contact the authors. All three members of this Dream Team (Rob Brown, Robbie Burton, Geoff Spearpoint) were helpful, but Shaun’s thoughtful and generous email exchanges were spot-on in guiding me on who to talk with and where to go (i.e. what huts to visit!).
New Zealand Hut Heroes: Paul Kilgour: story and video
Profile of Paul Kilgour, a kindly, energetic and intelligently man. He has tramped incessantly for years, and in 2004 he retraced on maps all the walks he could remember and made a notebook listing huts he had stayed in and those he “had cast a shadow on”. After his 2007/08 “long walk home” the number jumped considerably. He is still keeping a record in his neatly kept notebooks. When we looked in March 2018, he was up to 1,174 huts total.
New Zealand Hut Heroes: John Taylor, master of hut restoration
Profile of John Taylor, an amazing DOC engineer and hut restoration expert who has contributed enormously to the maintenance building and conservation of NZ huts. Notes on his mentor Max Polgaze, whose hut building and restoration work is legendary. Lots of great photos shared by John.
Brian Dobbie: New Zealand Hut Hero
Profile of my liaison to DOC when spending three months in NZ. Brian is an exemplary public servant who has quietly served his fellow Kiwi’s by helping to steer the modern development of their remarkable national hut system. This brief profile attempts to put a face to the name by sketching in some background about a person who works quietly behind the scenes to maintain access to the bush.
Geoff Spearpoint: New Zealand Hut Hero
Profile of one of the leading hut folks in NZ, and a leading photographer, author, activist and tramper.