Meg Hut

Mike Morelli
Nov 29
2 min read

Date: November 29 - 30, 2025

Location: Pisa Range, Cadrona, Otago, New Zealand

Total Trip Distance: 9 mi / 14.5 km

Total Elevation Gain: 3,083 ft / 940 m

Trip Duration: 2 days

Team: Deanna Luu

Field Notes: Park at Tuohys Gully carpark and follow the 4WD track up to the saddle just west of Point 1202. Then follow the track down heading southeast to Meg Hut. Bring firewood.

Photos: Deanna Luu I was so happy to have Deanna back! The last time she visited, we had an amazing trip up to McIntosh Hut.

This was the second time Deanna had come to visit me, and both times her goal was the same: to spend a night in a backcountry hut in New Zealand.

I had bigger aspirations for this trip, but as often happens in New Zealand, the weather had other ideas. Rain seemed to be falling almost everywhere. That said, I’ve noticed that the areas around Wanaka and Queenstown often miss the worst of it, so I decided to take us to Meg Hut — a short, straightforward trip to a place I’d never been before.

The journey was simple. We walked up the four-wheel-drive track toward the hut on a mostly gorgeous, though slightly cloudy, day. We gained elevation steadily and slowly, setting a casual pace and enjoying each other’s company.

Travel to Meg Hut is very straightforward. It’s a farm track that climbs roughly 650 meters before dropping about 200 meters down to the hut. Once there, though, the setting is spectacular: rolling tussock hills, a beautiful stream running past the hut, and a peaceful location.

I’d hiked in firewood, and even though the temperatures weren’t expected to drop too low, we couldn’t pass up the novelty of lighting a fire inside the hut. We spent the rest of the afternoon lounging in the sun, cracking jokes, doing some breathwork, and I made a half-hearted attempt at a cold plunge.

As the sun began to set, we lit the fire and enjoyed the simplicity of the moment and each other’s company. That night, we slept incredibly well.