Waihohonu is the oldest mountain hut in New Zealand, maintained as an unused historic building. The gap between the inside and outside corrugated iron walls is filled with pumice, which helps insulate it. Built in 1904 on the slopes of Mt Ruapehu, it was popular with female trampers and skiers as it had separate sleeping areas for men and women. Women bunked down on mattresses of tussock, and even had a small mirror. At nearby Haunted whare or Mangatepopo hut, they had to share single-roomed huts with men.
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Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand
by Jock Phillips
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