Waitengaue Hut On Easter Saturday 2002 at approximately 10.00 am, Waitengaue Hut was burnt down to the ground and all that remained was a pile of iron. The police are investigating and have strong leads as to who caused this arson. In 1980 we lost Waiorongomai Hut to fire and many Club members at the time wondered how long it would be before Waitengaue Hut suffered the same fate. I guess an optimist would say that we got an extra 22 years pleasure from it. Small comfort for something that should not have happened. The present site in the Waitengaue Valley was discovered and in April 1967, permission was received to build. In June 1967 the first Waitengaue Hut working party was held. All materials were carried in to the site by members and the track from the road end to the site was divided up into thirteen sections. People were assigned to each section and were responsible for carrying materials over that section. A race soon developed as it was the aim of the people in each section to have a stockpile at the end of their section and this meant that much material was shifted quickly. During the construction, fundraising was also going on and funds managed to keep abreast of monies going out for materials. One year after the first working party, the hut was opened and it was opened in style. Bow ties, a push bike and lots of sparkling brown. One member, who was later to become president (not me), took three attempts to get out of his tent to go to the loo the next morning. The hut was used a lot by our Club and outside organisations and one feature of the hut was the raised fireplace that sat in the middle of the room. Architecturally it was a huge success, but from an engineering point of view, it was a heavy structure which eventually made the floor around it sink. An inspection underneath showed that it was sitting on one pile, so a working party was arranged and with hydraulic jacks and ground treated timber, the problem was rectified. A veranda was added to Waitengaue Hut and the walls were lined with ply in 1985. This made a big difference to the hut, particularly during wet weather and for just sitting outside, contemplating the world. In 1992, the rubbish hole was filled in (a carry in-carry out policy was adopted) and in 1993, the central fireplace was removed (people were chopping down trees close to the hut and even chopping up the table, doors, seats or what ever, just to get firewood). Unfortunately, Waitengaue Hut was always subject to vandalism, minor, more annoying vandalism in the earlier days, with more serious and costly vandalism as time went on. It was obvious that the hut was too close and too easy to get to for the undesirable element and they have had the last say. Waitengaue Hut was not flash, but it was a well designed 34 year old bush hut in reasonable condition that provided warmth and shelter at a beautiful tramping site. I joined the Club in 1968 and spent a lot of time helping build the hut. I enjoyed using the hut and the company of the people staying there. We always had a great time, although the water at the hut was not the best - it often gave one a headache on Sunday morning! Our kids enjoyed the hut. I think they were three when they first went there and always enjoyed going as did the kids of other Club members. I am sad to think that the hut is no more and its loss will deprive many people of a lot of pleasure for both now and in the future. Four committee members met with DoC after the fire and we all agreed that rebuilding the hut is not an option. DoC are having the same problems with their huts which are near to the road ends and the current thinking is that the present site could become a camping site with a shelter. No decision has been made about this as yet and Club members will be advised and possibly asked for input. What we need to do when the dust settles is to set a date for a weekend for members to visit the site and have a big party. We need to remember what Waitengaue Hut has meant to us, the enjoyment it has given us and the memories it has left with us and we need to farewell a memorial to the early members of the Club which has now been lost. Waiorongomai Hut 1954 - 1980Before the days of well-marked and cut tracks the WTC members took an interest in exploring the Waiorongomai Valley in the Kaimai Ranges where they uncovered the relics of past gold-mining activities buried beneath gorse. When they found a brick chimney standing alone deep in the forest in 1953 they decided that it was a great spot to build a hut. Permission was obtained to take over this historic relic and on May 1,1954, after 6 months of hard toil by Club members, the Waiorongomai Hut was officially opened. The Waiorongomai Valley was looked upon at the time as the Club's stamping ground and the Hut became a home for early members who spent many days and weekends exploring the area. In the 3Oth Reunion Bulletin it was noted that vandals were damaging the hut and that Club members could easily lose it. How unfortunate it was that this prediction came true only 5 months later. On September 7, 1980, the Waiorongomai Hut was burned to the ground by vandals - only the original brick chimney survived the fire, the base of which can still be seen today. Forest Park regulations at the time dictated that the Club could not rebuild on the site, thus came the end of an era. | 
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