Oturere Hut, Tongariro National Park

Oturere Hut is set in the middle of a desert landscape full of rock debris and ash remains in the east of Tongariro National Park, with a waterfall nearby for a shower and, in clear weather, the morning glow of Ngauruhoe at sunrise. Here, the park shows a completely different, wilder side compared to Waihohonu Hut with its mountain rainforests and grasslands, the fascinating views from the slopes near Ketetahi Hut, or the climbing rocks near Mangatepopo Hut. However, it’s also gained fame among visitors for the sheer number and monstrous size of the black blowflies that swarm around the hut and the toilet block. But those fat buzzers are actually completely harmless!