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Tamsen Walker – DOC / Supplied
Lake Dive Hut on Mount Taranaki burned down over the weekend.
A popular cabin inside Mount Taranaki burned to the ground over the weekend.
On Tuesday, Department of Conservation (DOC) staff confirmed that Lake Dive Hut had been destroyed by fire. However, at this time the cause of the fire and exactly when it occurred is unknown.
“A lot of people will have fond memories of spending the night there – it’s a huge loss,” said DOC Taranaki COO Gareth Hopkins.
A homeless man reported the incident to the DOC on Monday morning, and DOC staff confirmed the report the same day.
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A fire investigator, police and DOC personnel were evaluating the remains of the cabin Tuesday to determine the cause of the fire.
Hopkins said the cabin was a popular night-time roaming destination on weekends and part of the multi-day Around the Mountain loop.
It is too early to say if or when the cabin will be rebuilt, he said.
The DOC will install signs at road crossings in the cabin to inform homeless people and recommend alternative cabins.
Lake Dive Hut has 16 berths and was built in the early 1980s as one of six cabins on Mt Taranaki commissioned by the Department of Lands and Studies.
A hike back to the cabin, using the Lake Dive Track, takes between seven and eight hours.
Anyone with further information on the incident is encouraged to contact the DOC office in New Plymouth at 06 759 0350.
