Historic Sayers Hut needs fireplace to remain safe | Wairarapa News | Local News in Wairarapa

Gerald Ford

Deerstalkers are once again moving to save historic Sayers Hut in the Tararua Ranges, this time from itself.

Back in 2000 a determined deposition of hunters rallied against Department of Conservation plans to get rid of the hut they said failed "safety and sanitary standards".

DOC relented after accepting that the century-old hut was historic and maintained by the hunters themselves.

Now Steve Ticehurst, life member of the Wairarapa branch of the New Zealand Deerstalkers Association, says the hut needs a new fireplace to remain safe.

Mr Ticehurst said in the aftermath of the 2000 showdown, DOC agreed to supply and transport materials for maintenance where possible, and the deerstalkers the labour.

The hut "has a fireplace and a chimney but we need DOC to supply us with a new fireplace", Mr Ticehurst said.

"We wrote to them and asked them but they said they haven't got any money for it in this year's budget."

Mr Ticehurst said the deerstalkers were appealing the DOC decision, but preparing to do something themselves.

"If DOC won't do something themselves we might have to do something, so that we have a safe situation there.

"By safe I mean safe for the hut and safe for the people inside the hut," Mr Ticehurst said.

Built between 1904 and 1908 on the west bank of the Waiohine River, the hut was "dismantled and improved" and rebuilt on the Carterton side of the river in about 1947 or 1948, Mr Ticehurst said.

"They only did that because the river was moving and got so close that you put your billy on a string and threw it out the window to collect water."

The hut has happy memories for generations of hunters, and has even been the venue for a wedding or two.