Thread: Kelly Knight hut hunting

Originally Posted by Tahr

Don't be lazy. Go over the top from Rangi. Thats how we used to do it, although I don't ever recall going too far down onto the Pouranaki faces before getting one. Up the Pari was always good too.

I have just returned from doing exactly this, and yes theirs a few deer around up there !

Shot my first deer here while staying at the old tent camp that preceded the hut. Saw a hind and a yearling running away. Aimed at the hind and shot the yearling through the head.

Access is a bit limitied on the western side of the Ruahine's, I think the Ruahine users group were recently lobbying DOC to finally do something about it.

Good to hear someone is trying to put a bit of pressure on Doc to sort it out.
It’s such a shame that the Kelly knight track has closed. I rang Doc a year ago about it and the difficulty getting into Purity which is very hit and miss, the guy I spoke to said they were planning on having a meeting with Both owners to try and sort something out but unfortunately nothing has changed.

That same meeting that's been arranged for years aye.

I venture in 2-3 times a year now. A lot less than previous years due to access. Little bit longer walk eh.

I know it's a while since this thread was used but where is cookies, cheers

@danialr, give me a PM, can put you in touch with farmer at end of road to get upto Kelly Knight.

@Double_massive i have only started using this forum and i belive i have to wait a bit before i can PM people on here, but you can email me danialridzuan101@gmail.com, cheers

Isn't it the Hopkins group at the end of there now?

@Sika 8 is there access to Kelly knight with the Hopkins? Cheers

Last I heard it was shut, but that may have changed now?

This thread got me thinking i should pay the hut a visit, must be thirty years since i last spent a night a Kelly Night Hut. So with a low river level and a good weather forecast i headed in on the friday afternoon via the river, pretty good going in the Pourangaki till you get up to where the DOC sidle track starts, cant remember what it was like before the floods.
Deer sign galore in the river bed, but i suspect most activity is under cover of darkness. Cutting up the face onto the doc track i hoped to see something on the faces across the river where i've shot deer in the past but nothing was seen and the slips looked quite barren with no growth on them. Like the river bed there was sign everywhere on the track but had no encounters, finally got to the hut an hour after dark.
The floods have totally rooted the track in places with some major wash outs and the detours in place are quite steep with ropes in place to help pull yourself up and in the dark was a bit tricky trying to follow.
Would have liked to stay another night but had to be out by sat night so back out again next morning, think i was very unlucky not to have seen a deer or two but good to visit the hut again. Looking up at the tussock tops from the sidle track its a big climb to get there from the hut so think ill stick to getting there via Rangi hut, much easier .

Apparently the track is closed due to slip I think so no access though farm


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Nice one!

Originally Posted by buzzmann

Apparently the track is closed due to slip I think so no access though farm


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The slips certainly don't help but i've been told its because of the small piece of Maori land just inside the forest park boundary!