MURRAY RIVER
Constructed in 2014 Murray River was the first hut to be fitted with a Wagner Sparky multifuel fire. The Clean Air Act made the previously installed Yukon Potbelly stoves obsolete. The builders were John & Mike DeLury, Hacky Sims, Mark Casserly, Brian Winsloe & Richard Cook.
Access. In calm seas watertaxis can enter the river to unload near the hut but only at high tide. Otherwise landings are on the beach. You are advised to have your gear suitably protected from an accidental dunking.
Cellphone reception at the beach.
About Murray River. Southland News 1927 Stewart Island and it's Placename. by Basil Howard
Murray River. – A stream and Bay on the north-east coast. It was probably here that Robert Murray was left as superintendant of a sealing gang in Foveaux Strait by the vessel Fox in 1809. the vessel proceeded to the South Indian Ocean for seals, where she was wrecked. The marooned sealing gang was much later rescued by another vessel. He was not picked up till August 1810, by the Governor Bligh, owned by Lord, Williams & Thompson.
There was a sawmill operating in the north corner of the beach around 1913. On the north side of the river the track follows the old tramline before entering virgin forest. Other lines run over a kilometre south near the beach and up Murray River. In places the regenerating forest is quite thick. The remains of the wharf and some rusting relics can still be seen.
A Relic from the sawmilling days not far from the hut.
CHRISTMAS VILLAGE
Christmas Village Bay is the site of the first hut built on Stewart Island by NZ Forest Service for use by hunters. In 1973 NZ Wildlife recorded "The Forest Service has erected strategically situated huts at Long Harry Bay and Christmas Village for use by hunting parties" It also listed the area as providing excellent hunting.
Christmas Village Hunters Hut sits above Christmas Village Bay and should not be confused with the 12 bunk trampers hut in the bay to the north.
Once the trampers hut was constructed by DOC in the next bay to the north the old hut fell into disrepair as the tramping track no longer went past and when the Hut Trust was formed in 1999 it was in poor condition. The Trust funded a new watertank, and material for a veranda and a pot belly stove to replace the open fire. The work was completed by Brian Morgan and his party from West Coast.
Sadly by 2017 the old hut had deteriorated to the stage it was uneconomical to spend further money on it and a new hut was constructed closer to the water. The builders were Ray Phillips, Dave Howden, Nigel Hodge, Dale Chittenden and John DeLury.
Access to the old hut was up a grass bank but required landing on a boulder beach. This beach is extremely dangerous in any kind of rough sea or surge. It is okay when the sea is flat. We recommend you avoid arrival/departure at high tide. At lower tide land at the sandy beach on the south side. You will be able to pull a dinghy out of the water at the far end. Access to the hut is now at the creek on the south side of the hut. There is tent space around the hut.
Communication. Spark has reception at the hut but Vodafone required a walk to the highpoint of the headland to the south of the sandy beach.
And the name Christmas Village
A native and whaling settlement on the north east coast between Murray River and Saddle Point. There is a maori story of a party of whalers or sealers who gave the natives a stock of clothes when in a generous mood. As an old hand says, "they must have thought it was Christmas" but I would not derive the name from that.
Stewart Island and It's Placenames, by Basil Howard, Southland Times Magazine, 24 December 1927.
SMOKY BEACH
The Smoky beach campsite has seen a succession of improvised shelter which were replaced by this hut built in February 2015. The builders were Mark Casserly, Ray Phillips, Hacky Sims, Mike & John DeLury. Although it is set a about 70 metres from the beach it faced the issue of sand being blown into the doorway. In 2019 we modified the hut by shifting the entrance to rear away from the wind.
Access. As of 2021 Stewart Island Flights decided they would no longer land fixed wing aeroplanes at Smoky due to the soft sand on the beach. Helicopter access only. Smoky beach is rarely suitable for boat landings and water taxis will not travel there.
Cellphone reception is available where the hut track hits the beach.
“Stewart Island It’s Place Names” by Basil Howard Southland Times Magazine 25 February 1928
Smoky Beach, Smoky Cave. These two names are the standard local name for the locality labelled “Cave Point” on the maps “Smoky” has the authority of 70 years of use. The beach and the cave came into prominence at the close of 1867 when rather hopeful gold prospects were obtained from the sands of the beach. Southland News of November 1 of that year reported that it was proposed to send over Police Sergeant Morton in the expectation of a rapid increase in the population of the diggings near Smoky Beach. Many of the miners lived in the cave which gave rise to the map name. The rush was not of any duration; the gold was undoubtedly there but in quantities too small to warrant the expenditure of time and money on investigation. But nearly every party spent some time prospecting there in the hope of finding what others had missed.
New Zealand Shipwrecks 1795 – 1975 C.W. Ingram
Workington, Brig : When bound from Melbourne to Bluff in February 1857, the brig encountered heavy weather in Foveaux Strait. On discovering that there were six feet of water in the hold the master ran the Workington ashore at Smokey where she became a total wreck. On 12th March, the hull and stores were sold and realised 45 Pounds. No lives were lost. The Workington, No 32476, was a brig of 150 tons register, and was owned by Mr Dyer, of Sydney, who was a passenger on board at the time of the casualty.
The skeleton of the Workington can sometimes be seen in lower Smoky Creek depending on sand cover. Remember, this is a protected historic site!
LITTLE HELLFIRE
November 2018 saw the final hut in the program constructed at Little Hellfire to replace the ramshakle bivvy which had been beside the creek for many years. The hut is a two minute walk from the beach. The building crew was Ray Phillips, Kerry Butson, Nigel Hodge, Dale Chittenden, Mike and John DeLury. For a look at the building process see You Tube
Building crew, John Mike Chairman John Secretary/treasurer Ray
Kerry Ray Nigel Dale shake on "Job Done"
Access: The hut is at the northern end of the beach. Little Hellfire beach is unstable and the sand is sometimes covered in stones making it unsuitable for planes to land on. It is sometimes unusable for long periods of time. Always check with Stewart Island Flights. Landings are often nearer the opposite end of the beach requiring a bit of a carry. There is no Cell phone coverage.
Ka One Rehu ….. “The Hazy or Misty Coast” a real feature of this wild coast is the misty appearance resulting from heavy seas.
Hellfire …… A descriptive name, especially from the perspective of an old sailor viewing this wild coast from offshore.