Brewster Hut is located in Mount Aspiring National Park, nested on a ledge on the flanks of Mount Armstrong. It is accessed via the Brewster Track, which starts at Fantail Falls about 20 minutes north of Makarora on SH6. The track to this hut is short, but steep, and not to be underestimated.
I visited Brewster Hut in March 2019 and the stunning sunset and excellent company made it one of my top 3 hut experiences in New Zealand (so far).
Here is some beta for you to use while planning your hike to Brewster Hut.
Trail Stats
Distance: 2.5 km one way
Elevation: 1,000 m (approximately)
Route Type: Out and back
Difficulty: Hard
Hiking Season: December – April
Planning Resources
- The Department of Conservation (affectionately called DoC) website has lots of useful information and topographic maps to help you plan your trip
Preparing for the Trip
Itinerary
Prior to arriving in New Zealand, I read about this hut on In a Faraway Land and was very keen to visit while I was travelling around the country.
I visited Brewster Hut with a group of six, and we stayed at the hut for just one night. Given the hike is fairly short, it is possible to do some exploring in the area around the hut if you leave from the trailhead fairly early. There are scrambling routes from the hut over to Brewster Glacier and up to the summit of Mount Armstrong if you are feeling particularly ambitious.
There were several folks we ran into who did this as a day hike, but I think staying overnight and enjoying the sunset with a warm drink over Haast Pass was 100% worth it.
Transportation to Trailhead
I parked my vehicle at Fantail Falls, which has a carpark just off of SH6. It is about 20 minutes north of Makarora.
Sleeping Options
Brewster Hut costs $30 for an adult for one night. At certain times of the year, you must book the hut ahead of time. Check the DoC website for more details. I could not use my Backcountry Hut Pass at this hut, but you can outside of the summer/fall months.
Camping is not recommended around this hut due to the sensitive ecosystems, although there were some other groups who did camp while we were there.
On the Trail
Day 1: Fantail Falls to Brewster Hut
A few days prior to heading off on the trail, I connected with someone I met through one of the New Zealand Backpackers Facebook groups. We met up at the Albert Town campsite near Wanaka, along with a German couple and a Swiss couple who we had also connected with on that group. After a night of camping together, we decided to tackle Brewster Hut as a group.
We drove up to the trailhead from Wanaka on a rainy morning, and tried to keep our gear sheltered as we exited our cars and threw on our packs. Trying to stay dry may have been a pointless exercise though, as the Brewster Track starts on the other side of the Haast River, which requires a river crossing.
This river can really be flowing, and there is no alternate way around the river that I am aware of, so be very cautious when proceeding. We found a narrow spot to cross, and waded across the icy water to the start of the trail. It is marked very clearly with an orange triangle, so you should be able to spot it from the main Fantail Falls trail without too much trouble.
Each of us clambered up the bank, dried off our feet, and put our hiking shoes back on to tackle the rest of the trail. It starts to climb very steeply through a lush forest. Most of the footholds are in the gaps between the maze of roots, so can be slippery when wet. Due to the slope I used my hands quite a bit to help pull myself up the track.
After a relentless hour, the trail flattened out slightly, and we stopped for a snack break. The sun peeked out through the clouds casting light on the moss hanging from the branches of the trees.
This short section was too good to be true, as the trail begins to climb upwards again. Eventually the trail breaks through the treeline, exposing some magnificent views of Haast Pass below. From here the trail continues upwards through the tussocks and along a rocky ridge.
After 2.5 hours of climbing, we arrived at the hut and sprawled out on the sizeable porch to eat some lunch and admire the view we had so rightly earned.
A few of our party decided to attempt the scramble up to the summit of Mount Armstrong. From the hut, it looks like the peak is right there, but this is actually a false summit – the actual summit is not visible until you climb a bit higher. If you are standing at the hut looking at Mount Armstrong, with Brewster Glacier on your left, there are some cairns along the right marking a straightforward route up to the peak.
I opted to continue hanging out at the hut for the afternoon, enjoying the panoramic views and the sunshine which had emerged. We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening on the patio talking, playing games, and eating snacks, although we all wrapped ourselves in our sleeping bags as soon as the sun set.
I tried my hand at astrophotography, which didn’t go particularly well either.
Eventually I clambered up into my bunk and fell into a deep sleep, exhausted by that day’s efforts.
Day 2: Brewster Hut to Fantail Falls
I regret to inform that I did not make it up for sunrise. Unfortunately, yesterday’s sunshine had disappeared, and the rain had returned, so I’m not sure if I would have seen much anyways. After a quick breakfast (inside the hut this time due to the drizzle), we put on our rain pants, and began the descent to our car.
We retraced yesterday’s steps down the rocky ridge, through the tall tussocks, and back into the forest. As you can imagine, the rooted footholds that we had used on the steep uphill section up were quite treacherous on the way down. I did not have hiking poles but used the trees to help me keep my balance with every step.
After an hour and a half, we arrived back at the Haast River with sore knees and soaking wet clothes, and waded back across the icy river to our cars for a well earned lunch back in Wanaka.
Summary
The hike to Brewster Hut is steep and intense, but short, so if you have some mental stamina and reasonable hiking legs it should be doable. The panoramic views from the hut are 100% worth the effort, in my opinion. This is why it is one of my top three hut experiences (so far) in New Zealand! Check out the other huts in my top three here and here.
Have you been to any of the huts in Mount Aspiring National Park?
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