Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
sand dune right outside the door stretches all the way down to
Big Hellfire Beach
, a scenic
stretch of shoreline well worth the 30-minute climb back to the hut.
Day 8: Big Hellfire Hut to Mason Bay Hut
7 HOURS, 15KM
Despite what some maps show, there are no creeks near the track between Big Hellfire and
Little Hellfire Beaches, so make sure your water bottles are full when you depart the hut.
From Big Hellfire Hut the track follows the crest of the ridge, affording grand views. The
track sidles off the ridge, crosses a number of gullies, and three to four hours from Hellfire
Pass emerges at
Little Hellfire Beach
. Both the ascent of the ridge and the descent can be
extremely muddy at times.
Follow the beach for 1km to its southern end, where the track moves inland to climb a
bush-and-scrub saddle around
Mason Head
, before descending to the northern end of
Mason Bay
. The climb to the saddle is very steep, and if it's been raining it will also be very
muddy. It is slow going and the majority of people need two hours to climb around Mason
Head to Mason Bay.
If the tide is right, you can follow the hard sandy beach for one of the most scenic walks
on the island. At high tide or with big seas it may be necessary to take the high-tide detour
over a steep rocky outcrop partway down the beach. Your best bet is to plan your trip around
the tides or take a break and wait for it to recede if daylight allows.
After a 4.5km (two-hour) beach stroll, you cross the mouth of Duck Creek and arrive at a
large pole with orange triangles, which marks the track to Mason Bay Hut (20 bunks). The
track skirts the stream all through the sand dunes and arrives at the hut in 15 to 20 minutes.
Built in 1968, the hut received a major facelift in 2006, due to the growing popularity of
Mason Bay, and now features three bunk rooms and a large kitchen/dining area. The scenic
sand dunes of Mason Bay, and the opportunity at night to look (or just listen) for kiwi, has
many visitors spending an extra day here.
SIDE TRIP: BIG SANDHILL
1 HOUR, 2KM RETURN
At 156m,
Big Sandhill
is the tallest sand dune along Mason Bay and is an easy climb for
great views or to watch the sunset. Just east of the hut on the main track is a bridge over
Duck Creek; on the other side you take a side trail that winds through the scrub. Within
