# Kowhai Hut, New Zealand: what it is and when to go > Kowhai Hut is a mountain hut in New Zealand (Kaikōura), at 500 m above sea level. Interests: Hiking. The best time to visit is October to April. In December there are 15 h 05 of daylight, and in June, 8 h 55. Here is what it is, where it lies, when to come, how to get there and what else is nearby to turn it into a trip. - Address: https://kokai.app/en/paises/oceania/nueva-zelanda/kowhai-hut/ - Reviewed on: 2026-10-02 - Language: en ## In a nutshell - **What it is:** Mountain hut · Hiking - **Where:** New Zealand - **Elevation:** 500 m - **Best time:** October to April. - **Nearest airport:** WLG Wellington, 148 km as the crow flies - **Website:** [doc.govt.nz](https://doc.govt.nz/link/d2058b26779c42a19c14d7ba08d18df7) - **Beds:** 6 - **Booking:** Not needed - **Run by:** Department of Conservation - **Coordinates:** -42.29841, 173.59506 ## What it is and where Kowhai Hut is a mountain hut in New Zealand (Kaikōura), at 500 m above sea level. It is in [Kaikōura](https://kokai.app/en/paises/oceania/nueva-zelanda/kaikoura/), where this site lists 39 more places to see, 14 km from the centre. Its coordinates are -42.29841, 173.59506; the nearest main airport is Wellington International Airport (WLG, Wellington), 148 km as the crow flies. How to get around New Zealand (train, car, bus) is covered in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/oceania/nueva-zelanda/#moverse). - [Where it is](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=-42.298411%2C173.595055) - [Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=-42.298411%2C173.595055) - **Beds:** 6 - **Booking:** Not needed - **Run by:** Department of Conservation It is one of the [Hiking](https://kokai.app/en/paises/oceania/nueva-zelanda/senderismo/) places in New Zealand. In [Kokai](https://kokai.app/en/) it is already on your trip map next to the places you save yourself, and it goes into a day's plan with one tap. ## When to go The best time to visit Kowhai Hut is **October to April**. | Mes | Época | Hours of daylight | | --- | --- | --- | | January | Best time | 14 h 46 | | February | Best time | 13 h 39 | | March | Best time | 12 h 21 | | April | Best time | 10 h 51 | | May | Possible | 9 h 36 | | June | Possible | 8 h 55 | | July | Possible | 9 h 12 | | August | Possible | 10 h 17 | | September | Possible | 11 h 44 | | October | Best time | 13 h 11 | | November | Best time | 14 h 27 | | December | Best time | 15 h 05 | In December there are 15 h 05 of daylight, and in June, 8 h 55. Daylight hours are calculated from the site's latitude for the 15th of each month; when planning a full day on foot they matter as much as the weather. When to go to New Zealand in general, with its festivals and peak seasons, is in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/oceania/nueva-zelanda/#cuando-ir). ## Before you go to New Zealand To enter New Zealand there are 8 things to sort out before you leave, starting with “Car, ferry and huts, booked well in advance”: they are all, with their deadlines, in [the New Zealand checklist](https://kokai.app/en/paises/oceania/nueva-zelanda/#antes-de-salir). Currency: New Zealand dollar (NZD); plugs: Type I · 230 V · 50 Hz (two flat pins in a V: adapter essential); emergencies: 111. In [Kokai](https://kokai.app/en/) you tick off the checklist inside your trip, and each item reminds you when it is time to do it. ## What is nearby - [Big Hau](https://kokai.app/en/paises/oceania/nueva-zelanda/big-hau/): Hill in New Zealand · 1.1 km - [Little Hau](https://kokai.app/en/paises/oceania/nueva-zelanda/little-hau/): Hill in New Zealand · 1.3 km - [Mount Fyffe](https://kokai.app/en/paises/oceania/nueva-zelanda/mount-fyffe/): Mountain in New Zealand · 2.0 km - [Mt Fyffe Hut](https://kokai.app/en/paises/oceania/nueva-zelanda/mt-fyffe-hut/): Hiking · 2.9 km - [Mount Saunders](https://kokai.app/en/paises/oceania/nueva-zelanda/mount-saunders/): Mountain in New Zealand · 4.9 km Distances are as the crow flies. Everything else is in [the New Zealand guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/oceania/nueva-zelanda/). ## More in New Zealand: Hiking - [Kepler Track](https://kokai.app/en/paises/oceania/nueva-zelanda/gw-08-kepler-track/): a three- to four-day tramp in Fiordland National Park, New Zealand - [Queenstown Hill](https://kokai.app/en/paises/oceania/nueva-zelanda/queenstown-hill/): mountain in New Zealand - [Tongariro Alpine Crossing](https://kokai.app/en/paises/oceania/nueva-zelanda/tongariro-alpine-crossing/): tramping track in New Zealand - [Lake Waikaremoana Great Walk](https://kokai.app/en/paises/oceania/nueva-zelanda/gw-01-lake-waikaremoana/): Hiking trail in New Zealand's North Island - [Tongariro Northern Circuit](https://kokai.app/en/paises/oceania/nueva-zelanda/gw-02-tongariro-northern-circuit/): a three- to four-day tramp in Tongariro National Park, New Zealand - [Abel Tasman Coast Track](https://kokai.app/en/paises/oceania/nueva-zelanda/gw-04-abel-tasman-coast-track/): walking track in New Zealand Every New Zealand place under Hiking, each with its season, is on [its page](https://kokai.app/en/paises/oceania/nueva-zelanda/senderismo/). ## Frequently asked questions ### What is Kowhai Hut? It is a mountain hut in New Zealand. ### When is the best time to visit Kowhai Hut? October to April. In December there are 15 h 05 of daylight, and in June, 8 h 55. ### How do you get to Kowhai Hut? The nearest main airport is Wellington International Airport (WLG), 148 km as the crow flies. From there, [directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=-42.298411%2C173.595055) opens the route on the map, and how to get around New Zealand is explained in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/oceania/nueva-zelanda/#moverse). ### How do I add it to my trip? With one tap. In Kokai it is already on the New Zealand map, next to the places you save yourself: add it to a day's plan, give it a time and, if you like, get a reminder when you pass nearby. ### What else is around here? Nearby you have [Big Hau](https://kokai.app/en/paises/oceania/nueva-zelanda/big-hau/), [Little Hau](https://kokai.app/en/paises/oceania/nueva-zelanda/little-hau/), [Mount Fyffe](https://kokai.app/en/paises/oceania/nueva-zelanda/mount-fyffe/). The rest is in [the New Zealand guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/oceania/nueva-zelanda/). Data from [OpenStreetMap](https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/2618253011), licensed under the ODbL. Daylight hours are calculated from the latitude. More in [credits](https://kokai.app/en/aviso/#creditos).