Alpha after repainting
Alpha hut has been over due for repairs and painting for some time. This was the priority hut project for the GWBN this summer an d was a “Must Do”. SWeather delayed the initial start, resulting in several keen volunteers having to pull out. After some advertising on social media, we go a team of 7 to go in, nearly all who could stay until the job was complete.
Led by builder extraordinaire Nic Blair, Mike Sheridan, John Duggan, Cella Connel, Dave Watt, Jim Hepburn and Ryan Sheridan were flown by Pilot Jared of Amalgamated Helicopters NZ Ltd last Monday to Alpha hut. The weather was perfect for flying and 4 loads in the H500 got the team, materials, packs, gear etc on site.
Mike and Cella painting
After earlier inspections, it was thought that the exterior cladding needed replacing with Colour Steel. Funding didn’t permit that, and it was decided to prepare and paint over the stain used previously on the walls. Worst were the back walls.
After scrapping and cleaning the shadow clad exterior, vertical battens were screwed over joints in the ply. After the preparation, a coat of oil based Dulux undercoat was applied. Unfortunately the quantities estimated to cover the cladding only covered half the job. So a very prompt response from Dulux and DOC Wairarapa saw a couple more tins of undercoat obtained and flown into Alpha by 11 am. Two top coats were applied after the undercoat.
Next painting job was the hut interior, which got a clean and coat of Dulux Sandfly Point paint. After the deck balustrade was repaired, a this was painted on the last day.
The team, job done
Building tasks included attaching the wall battens, adding extra fixings to bard flashings, removal and replacement of guttering, plus metal straps to handle snow. New flashings were fitted over some windows, and the clear lite over the deck was replaced. Spouting o the south wall was installed and connected back to the water tank. A few trees were removed to improve light at the site, and a good load of firewood cutting up. This was put in a makeshift woodshed under the deck. A need bench set was built by Nic for the deck. The broken front door was repaired, as was the emergency exit at the rear of the hut.
Long days were put in by the team, to get the job done while weather was favourable. Ryan had to depart on the Thursday and ran to Kaitoke down MarchAnt Ridge.
The track to the heli pad and the bushline was given a fairly good trim
Use of the hut is fairly high, with 100 bed nights over January and similar use in February.
Mikes culinary skills raised the bar for future trips, with scone plus whipped cream and for a desert, cupcakes with icing.
The hut is looking totally different now, big thanks to effort by the team.
The project was funded by the GWBN using the annual funding grant received from the local Department of Conservation.