Archives

Girdlestone's 1911 plan of routes across the Remutaka Ranges

This map shows the routes in 1911 from Wellington to the Wairarapa across the Remutaka Ranges.

Early possum research in the Orongorongo Valley

Authors: Chris Mclean and Chris Cochran, originally published in 'Built Heritage of the Orongorongo Valley' - a report prepared for the...

Four Generations at Black Whare

Dick Lahood was one of the Orongorongo Valley's most well known and liked residents. His hut, Black Whare still sits above the river with...

Hut #1

These letters given to Ross Kerr from K.Hoggard provide a valuable insight into the early days of hut building in the Orongorongo Valley.

Crossing the Orongorongo River - 1951

The bosun’s chair was suspended from a cable about 60 feet above the Orongorongo River.

Searching for Deserters

Our job was to make a sweep down the Orongorongo valley from the Caretakers house in an attempt to find sign of two army deserters.

Our Selection

The architecture of Our Selection was extremely simple – it was a genuine log cabin.

The Wilderness People, NZ Life & Leisure

Fifty private huts, hidden in native bush in the Orongorongo Valley, have played an important role for generations of families.

A Short History of Huts in the Orongorongo Valley

Huts have been built in the Orongorongo Valley since the early 1900s – though they look a little different from today’s modern DOC huts!

The Five Mile

In 1978 Graham McCallum wrote about the history and his love affair of the Five Mile Track into the Orongorongo Valley.

History of Mac's Hut

The original Mac’s Hut was built in 1922 by Sam McIntosh and Bill Gibbs. It was built from beech poles and flattened benzine tins.

School holidays in bush log cabin were full of delights in 1953

The Catchpole must be one of the most picturesque spots around Wellington. For many years trampers en route to the Orongorongo have made...

1930s Tramping Memories

Well known tramper Tony Nolan wrote to Ross Kerr about the clothing and equipment used for tramping in the 1930s.

Tainui Hut - a bygone era

The late Joanna Lane-Taylor was a regular visitor to the valley and Tainui Hut in the 60s. At the time Joanna was a reporter for the...

History of Boar Inn

Brian Hildreth built Boar Inn in the late 1920s. In the 1930s Brian was engaged in the first scientific research into the habit of possums.