Whariwharangi Hut, Golden Bay

Although New Zealand Aotearoa became a British colony, the first Europeans to land here and interact with Maori people were part of Dutch explorer Abel Tasman's crew. In 1642, they arrived in Whariwharangi Bay, which is today part of the Abel Tasman National Park on the Golden Bay side. His expedition abandoned the area when their first encounter with Maori turned violent, and they continued up to the North Island.

Whariwharangi Hut is located on a mowed lawn a few hundred meters from the beach of Whariwharangi Bay. The hut is essentially a one-and-a-half-story farmhouse, built-in in 1898 by John Handcock and his family, who leased land from local Maori and farmed the valley and surrounding ridges for 15 years. The last permanent residents left in 1926, after which the farm was treated as a herdsmen's residence until farming ended 46 years later (despite the poverty of the granite soil to support the farm). farming was recognized decades ago). The ranch was renovated in 1980 to accommodate backpackers. Next to the hut, there is a large lawn for camping.

Location: Abel Tasman National Park