O'Leary's Hut
O'Leary's Hut
Soak in a hot tub under the stars
O'Leary's Hut sits at 1700m, overlooking Waterfall Stream. Located in a beautiful setting, with great views of the surrounding mountains and valleys, providing a fantastic location for star gazing - the Mackenzie District is renowned for the clarity of its sky and freedom from light pollution, which is why the area was recently designated as an International Dark Sky Reserve.
Warm, cosy & modern
O'Leary's Hut is privately owned and was built by Glenmore Station. It is an ideal base for backcountry adventures, overnight alpine hikes, hut to hut treks and ski & split-board touring. Equipped with firewood, gas, bunks, pillows and mattresses. A wood-fired stove means there are good heating and drying facilities. Alpine Recreation has stocked the hut with sleeping bags for each bunk. This will keep the pack volume and weight down for walk-in / ski-in trips.
Facilities
O'Leary's Hut consists of 1 large room with 8 bunks and a log burner. There are no showers and the toilet is a traditional longdrop loo.
Hot tub
O'Leary's Hut has a hot tub! Installed in autumn 2024, the wood-fired tub is fed by an alpine spring and is the perfect spot to relax after your day's adventures. What better place to enjoy star-gazing?!
Access
4WD access to Waterfall Hut is the most reliable and almost always possible, or only requires a short walk from the vehicle. It is then a very steep 300m hike up into the broader Waterfall Valley. From here the easiest route is to continue up the mostly gentle valley along the stream to O'Leary's Hut at 1700m.
O'Leary's Hut Adventures
Our recommendations of things to do at O'Leary's Hut.
Ski & Split-board Tours
New Zealand's best backcountry skiing & split-boarding terrain
Come and explore New Zealand's best ski touring and split-boarding venue - Glenmore Station's Cass Valley huts. Ski big lines and come back to a warm self-contained hut at the end of each day to share your stories by the fire while your guide prepares a tasty meal.
Learn more
Lake Tekapo Hikes & Treks
Adventurous alpine trekking in the Mackenzie High Country
The Gamack Range near Lake Tekapo is a spectacular alpine trekking venue in the middle of an impressive landscape carved by glaciers and waterfalls. Hike high above Lake Tekapo, cross alpine passes and gaze in wonder at the night sky - the Lake Tekapo region is renowned for its star-gazing and clear skies and is part of the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve.
Learn moreGetting there
4WD adventure & hike to O'Leary's Hut
Enjoy an adventurous 4WD journey up the Cass Valley to Waterfall Hut, in Alpine Recreation's rugged Toyota Landcruiser "Tigger".
From Waterfall Hut at 900m elevation, it is a very steep 1 hour climb into the Waterfall Stream Valley, with ever-expanding views over the Mackenzie Basin with the lower Cass Valley framing the deep turquoise blue of Lake Tekapo as your backdrop. After catching your breath, it is then a 2-3 hour hike along a gently rising river valley to O'Leary's Hut at 1700m.
A new addition in 2024 is the wood-fired hot tub! Relax under the stars while enjoying a soak. The Mackenzie region is renown for its star-gazing and is part of the International Dark Sky Reserve. With no other light sources for many miles, these will be some of the clearest skies you’ll ever experience!