Gosling Hut
A visit to Gosling Hut is the perfect reason to get into the Glazebrook Conservation Area, on the upper Waihopai River in Marlborough. The unmarked route up the river bed to the hut receives very little traffic. The terrain consists of every size of shingle, pebble, stone, rock, and boulder imaginable, often set beneath towering cliffs. Numerous river crossings are required and it is a constantly changing environment. Given there’s no track and you’re walking riverbed, the terrain is fairly slow going, with an approximate 400m elevation gain, I’d recommend it for experienced trampers. It took us around four hours one way to walk to the hut.
The Marlborough Tramping Club owns and maintains the six-bed Gosling Hut (860m). Built in the 1950s, it serves as a stopover for climbers heading to Bounds (2044m) or those crossing to Turkey’s Nest Biv on the Wye River. Please contact the club to donate for your stay. We were looking for an overnighter (December 2024) to test the state of a niggling injury I was recovering from. Gosling hut fitted the bill, being new territory for both of us, not too long and bagging a new hut.
Stronvar Station
Gosling Hut sits at the upper end of Gosling Stream which lies beyond Stronvar Station at the end of Waihopai Valley Road. To access Gosling Stream you need permission to cross Stronvar Station. We drove southwest from Renwick along Waihopai Valley Road until it ended at Stronvar. The last part was unsealed but in good condition. Having called the station beforehand to seek permission to access we parked by the gates, leaving a note on the dash. Not long after we’d crossed the gate, we met one of our hosts along the track and had a quick chat.
At 1:25 pm, we set off along a 4WD farm track on the true right of the Waihopai River The sun was shining at Stronvar, but ahead, dark grey clouds loomed ominously over the mountains. The track was mostly flat and easy, winding through pleasant scenery, and after half an hour, we were at the confluence with Gosling Stream. We climbed over the gate, headed through the paddock and to a gate leading down to the river. We crossed upstream avoiding the rapids. The river was running slow and just over knee height.
Gosling Stream
Gosling Stream was a completely different river to the Waihopai. It was filled with aeons of debris washed down from the mountains around it. If walking river beds isn’t your thing think twice about making this trip, because it only gets worse! After about 100 meters, we crossed the river and climbed onto a grassy terrace on its true left, where we discovered a four-wheel-drive track.
We ambled along the track, enjoying the gentle terrain and avoiding the matagauri and brambles. The track crossed to the true right, and at about 2.30 pm we came across a beautiful private hut with a giant table outside. Making the most of the nice views we stopped for a ten-minute break for a drink and a bite to eat. Beyond the hut, we followed the four-wheel drive track for a few more minutes until it turned left up the gully. We turned right towards the river and bashed through an area of tall manuka.
From the Hut
With the mountain tops beyond shrouded in cloud, the next part of the walk was dominated by a striking lower-elevation feature—a massive slip on the true left. From a distance, it appeared huge, and standing before it, the volume of debris was immense!
Beyond the slip, the riverbed narrowed around a long bend, and the debris we climbed over grew larger. We rounded a tighter left-hand bend at the base of The Pinnacle. Around the bend, debris was piled high on the true left while the river hugged the rock wall. The gradual climb started here, with the river tumbling noisily beside us.
The valley widened once more, and we veered to our right, where the higher, more solid river terraces made for easier walking. This route led us into another gorge-like section, filled with large, red-tinged boulders that made for the most fun part yet. We crisscrossed the river multiple times, navigating the rugged boulders.
The Waterfall
At around 5 pm we reached a sheer waterfall on the true left, plunging from a crack in the cliff into a high pool. From this point, we knew we didn’t have far to go. As we continued upstream, we spotted a cairn on the true right. This guided us up the outer bank, avoiding a gorged section of the river. However, bypassing the gorge required a treacherously slippery climb directly above it. After a short, careful scramble, we pushed through a brief stretch of bush and emerged onto a track.
We followed the track for a few minutes until the forest opened up. Across the river, perched on a rocky cliff, stood Gosling Hut, painted a charming peach-salmon colour—a welcome sight. Eager to reach it, we slid down a small slope leading back to the river. A short rock climb led up to the hut, the start indicated with paint on the rocks at the cliff’s base. As I peered up, I spotted a piece of knotted rope, to help with the climb.
Gosling Hut
We reached the six-bed Gosling hut at 5.25 pm. A beauty! Rather pleasingly, it turned out I’d matched my outfit to it. Outside was a water tank and an open area beyond with great views downstream (where you could pitch a couple of tents if you were desperate). Inside it was roomy with an open fireplace. We wrung out and hung up our wet socks and settled in. Remarkably, there were no sandflies, so we left the door open to make the most of the fresh air.
Rich swept the hut while I made a cup of tea and browsed the hut book. We were only the fourth group to visit in 2024, arriving on December 22nd—the last visitors came in September. With plenty of excellent reading material about the hut’s construction and tales of routes beyond the hut, we sipped our tea as steady rain began.
Day Two
After a marvellous sleep, we woke at 7 am. Wisps of cloud swirled in the valley below. After a leisurely breakfast, we left at 9.15 am. Using the rope to climb down the cliff we retraced our steps across the river to avoid the gorge and headed back to the waterfall.
We paused to take in the waterfall and the river below, basking in the warm sunlight. Everything looked more vibrant under a clear sky. Continuing on, we crossed the high terraces on the true left and reached the sharp bend by 10:30 am. For the first time this year, I heard the hum of cicadas. Our pace was steady and by 11:10 am, we had rounded the wide bend, passed the massive slip and looked downstream toward Stronvar. Behind us, the clouds gathered over the mountains, its shadow steadily chasing us downstream.
Crossing to the true right of the river, we traversed over the grassy flats and arrived at yesterday’s hut for lunch by 11:45 am. With the sun blazing overhead, we took refuge in the shade of a large manuka tree. Grateful for the lack of sandflies. After half an hour, we set off again, picking up the 4WD track that led us across the river and down to its confluence with the Waihopai.
By 1:30 pm, we were back at the car. Rich wasted no time, heading straight to the river for a swim, while I busied myself trying to keep all the bumblebees out of the car! A trip to Gosling Hut is a great weekend adventure, offering solitude in a rugged, ever-changing river valley.
Click the links below for more tramps in Marlborough:
The Wye Route to Hidden Hut – 3 days 2 nights
Lake Alexander Loop – overnight
Mt Robertson – day walk
Nydia Track – overnight
Black Birch and Blarich Loop, Ferny Gair – overnight
Saxton Severn, Leatham Molesworth – 4 nights 5 days
Blind Saddle to Quail Flat, Clarence – 3 days 2 nights
Hapuku River & Mt Fyffe Loop, Kaikoura – overnight