Liverpool Hut is located in the West Matukituki Valley, situated on the steep slopes of Mount Barff. It is accessed via the West Matukituki Track and the Liverpool Track, which start at the Raspberry Flat car park, an hour’s drive from Wanaka.
I visited Liverpool Hut in March 2019 and despite the proximity to Mount Barff, the views were not at all nauseating. This was yet another one of my favourite hut experiences in New Zealand.
Here is some beta for you to use while planning your hike to Liverpool Hut.
Trail Stats
Distance: 15km one way from the Raspberry Flat carpark, 30km round trip
Elevation: 1,182 m (according to AllTrails)
Route Type: Out and back
Difficulty: Hard
Hiking Season: December – April
Planning Resources
- The Department of Conservation 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 had read about the Mount Aspiring National Park Huts, including Liverpool Hut, French Ridge Hut, and Brewster Hut. I was keen to visit at least one of them on my travels.
I visited Liverpool Hut with one other person, and we stayed at the hut for just one night. We walked from Raspberry Creek all the way to Liverpool Hut and back, most of which was extremely flat and followed the river. While we were walking, two women on mountain bikes with backpacks passed us. You are actually able to cycle from Raspberry Creek to Aspiring Hut, which is about 7.5km. If I had a bike I probably would have tried to bike the first half of the track to cut down on walking time.
While most of the walk is very flat, the last couple of kilometres before the hut are very steep, and could be treacherous if the weather was not good. Be aware of conditions before you set out.
This would be a very long day hike, and personally, enjoying the sunset and seeing the stars from the porch of the hut was a highlight of the journey, so would recommend staying overnight.
Transportation to Trailhead
We parked at Raspberry Creek trailhead, which is about one hour from Wanaka. Note that the last 30km of the road is unsealed. We got there fine in a station wagon, but it was pretty bumpy and there are a few water bars that may not have been passable if the weather had been worse.
Sleeping Options
Liverpool Hut costs $20 for an adult for one night. If you are a NZAC member, you get a discounted rate. 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
* Note: I took VERY FEW photos of this trip … my apologies!
Day 1: Raspberry Creek Car Park to Liverpool Hut
We arrived at Raspberry Creek around 10AM. The sun was shining and we applied copious amounts of sunscreen before throwing on our bags and starting off on the West Matukituki Trail.
The trail generally follows the Matukituki River, and very gently slopes upwards for 10-12 km. We made very good time, but my head was on a pivot the whole time. The valley allows for 360 degree views of the Rob Roy Glacier, Dart Glacier, and eventually, Mount Aspiring itself, the second-highest peak in Aotearoa (after Aoraki/Mt. Cook).
After two hours of walking, we arrived at the historic Aspiring Hut. This hut is an older stone hut, and is owned and operated by the New Zealand Alpine Club. We stopped here for lunch and opted to sit inside, as the wasp situation outside was making it difficult to enjoy our sandwiches. A large group had cleared out so we had the place to ourselves.
Once we were full, we continued onwards up the valley. We continued to meander alongside the bright blue, braided river, enjoying the cool breeze, and arrived at the Liverpool Track trailhead after another hour and a half, which forks off from the trail to French Ridge Hut.
After crossing a river on a swing bridge, the trail shot steeply upwards. It seems to me that the philosophy that must have been used by the original trail creators is to go straight up … who needs to meander back and forth on switchbacks, am I right?
The trail from this point on was much more intensive. We used hands and feet to climb up slick rock sections, balancing on roots and small cracks in the rock. Immediately I began to break a sweat, and we had to stop every 15-20 minutes for some water and to catch our breaths.
There was one particularly exposed section, which requires you to traverse a large boulder while balancing on a root below your feet, and holding onto another root with your hands. I pretended I was out bouldering with my overnight camping backpack, and passed through this section fairly quickly, but it did require my full attention.
We continued to climb upwards through the trees, and eventually broke into the alpine tussocks. The next part of the trail required some exposed shuffling on shallow scree and slippery rock faces. We made our way up here slowly, thankful this section was dry. After a while, we reached the high point of the trail, and could see the iconic red Liverpool Hut situated in the basin below us. We meandered down the trail and arrived at the hut around 3:30 PM.
Once we had stripped off our hiking boots, put some dry clothes on, and made a warm cup of tea, we were able to survey the view around us. Across the valley was the mighty Mount Aspiring, and we could see Aspiring Hut and where we had come from that day in the valley south of us.
That afternoon, we played cards and basked in the sun on the deck before it descended behind Mount Aspiring, sending a chill through the valley. After a cozy ramen dinner, we enjoyed some Bailey’s and hot chocolate on the porch while watching the stars above Mount Aspiring, before getting cozy in our sleeping bags and enjoying a well-earned rest.
Day 2: Liverpool Hut to Raspberry Creek Car Park
We had a slow morning leaving the hut, only getting ourselves up and going by 11 AM. It was another beautifully sunny day, and as soon as we ascended the small climb from Liverpool Hut to the high point of the trail, I was warm again. It was slow going on the steep scree slope, but we made decent time back down the steepest part of the trail, and the rooted boulder seemed much less scary the second time around. Once we got back down to the valley bottom, I breathed a small sigh of relief. The rest of the straightforward walk out would be good to clear all the lactic acid out of my leg muscles after yesterday’s climb!
We arrived back at Raspberry Creek and started the drive back to Queenstown; not before a stop in Wanaka for a swim in the lake!
Summary
Liverpool Hut was an awesome taste of the West Matukituki Valley, and the fantastic views from the top of the climb were very well earned. I’m really keen to get to French Ridge Hut the next time I am back in New Zealand and experience the view from the other side of the valley.
Have you been to Liverpool Hut or French Ridge Hut? Which one do you prefer?
