Welcome Flat Hut | Copland Track
Welcome Flat Hut has become so popular that a year-round booking is operational. Note that if you do not have a booking this can cause major problems if you just turn up. (At busy times of the year prior to the booking system sometimes up to 100 people would turn up looking for a bed.) The hut warden will cite fire regulations and you may be forced to sleep under the rock bivvy. So, book.
The original hut was built near the bridge in 1913, and the current hut was built in 1986. A few weeks later it was hit by a rock/mudslide and while no one was injured the hut was then moved to a safer location. Since then it has been modified and four upstairs bedrooms have been created. Much of the downstairs is the kitchen and living areas.
And yes, the hot pools are worth the effort. Water comes out of the ground at 56°C that means the muddy-bottomed bathing pond can be kept relatively easily at 38°C. Perfect for relaxation neck deep after the seven-hour walk in from the car park.
The walk in is relatively easy, but it is a long way and some rock hopping is required. Also those without a head for heights may find the last swingbridge, one of the highest around, may be off-putting.
category . . . serviced hut, with bookings required for part of the year
booking . . . bookings required, visit the DOC booking site
If you do not book, ie, online or at a DOC office, and before you arrive at Welcome Flat, you may get hit with a substantial penalty payment from the hut warden.
hut fee . . . bunks: $30 adult, $150 youth. Sierra Room: $132 for up to 4 people
Pay when you make a booking. Hut tickets cannot be used in this hut. Backcountry Hut Passes can be used in this hut from 1 May to 30 September only.
A hut warden is resident most of the year, even winter, checks the bookings nightly, and if overbooked, you may not be allowed to stay.
elevation . . . 430 m
bunks . . . 31 mattresses on platforms, in four separate bedrooms. Also the self-contained Sierra Room for up to 4 people.
built . . . 1986, moved 1987
heating . . . woodburner. Wood is supplied, but rationed by the hut warden.
water . . . tap at two indoor sinks from rainwater tank
toilet . . . flush toilets x 2, shared with campsite
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