This morning, Ivan McLachlan will take a jet-boat from Makarora township up the Wilkin River to a spot below the Kerin Forks hut and walk the 1km track to the 10-bunk hut, where he will take up residency in the warden’s quarters for the next three weeks.
The former hunter, mountaineer, and member of the first search and rescue team in the 1960s said he did not want to give up his stint as hut warden but some things were becoming more difficult to do.
"Walking any distance for a start. Over the years I have had a number of health issues and they are gradually catching up with me."
"That was a bloke who didn’t like Doc and reckoned $15 was far too much to pay for a night in a hut.
"People who go into the hills generally aren’t difficult, although there are one or two nationalities that I’d prefer not to deal with."
Mr McLachlan said his tasks as warden were not too onerous and if the weather was good he would slip out to his favourite fishing hole at 5.30am and be back for his morning radio call at 8.20am to give hikers and trampers the weather forecast and track conditions.
He said when everyone had left, he had to make sure everything was clean and tidy and that included the toilets.
"In the back country, toilets are not particularly conducive to cleanliness, so two or three times a day I have to go up and wipe the blowfly residue off the seat. It is only a few minutes’ work but you have to do it once the flies start."
Doc acting operators manager Anita Middlemiss paid tribute to Mr McLachlan, who had provided helpful advice to users of the Wilkin Valley for 17 years.
"It takes a special type of person to live without the comforts of home to assist others," she said.
Mr McLachlan will be spending Christmas away from his family but several of his grandchildren have booked into the hut later this week.
