The Creepiest Hut I've Ever Found — I Felt Watched

I set out to find a hidden track between three lakes. I found something I wasn't expecting — a hut deep in the NZ bush that didn't feel abandoned at all. 🌿 THE JOURNEY The plan was simple: follow the Tuahu Track, explore the Kani Lakes, and see if I could bush bash between them. But halfway through, Mouse and I stumbled onto a hut completely hidden in the trees. No one around — but everything inside said someone had just been there. Curtains on the windows. Fresh mandarin peels on the floor. I've never felt so uneasy in the bush in my life. 📍 ROUTE BREAKDOWN Tuahu Track trailhead → Clunie Lake loop → hut discovery (unmarked, off-track) → bush bash attempt toward upper lake → abandoned due to fallen trees → back to trailhead 🐕 HIKING WITH MOUSE Mouse found the hut before I did — she was barking before I even saw it through the trees. Best trail dog in New Zealand. 🎒 DAY PACK GEAR Lightweight day pack, billy for lunch, dog water, topo map, navigation tools — everything I carry for a half-day NZ bush bash. 📌 LOCATION Tuahu Track, near Tara Mountain, New Zealand | Kani Lakes area | Off-track hut discovery ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 0:00 The hut — cold open 0:18 Setting out — the plan for today 3:11 Arriving at Clunie Lake 5:12 Spotting the hut through the trees 5:47 Approaching — I already feel like I'm being watched 6:13 Inside the hut — "Someone's been here" 6:40 The mandarin peels — someone ran out the door 7:24 Following the well-worn track outside 8:34 Lunch at the hut 9:04 Into the bush — heading for the upper lake 11:24 It's getting too thick 13:10 Executive decision — abandoning ship 14:02 Back at the ute — what a day 💬 Have you ever found a hut in the NZ bush that felt like someone just left? Drop a comment — I read every one. If you love New Zealand backcountry adventures with Mouse, subscribe and come along on the next one. #newzealandhiking #backcountry #nzhuts #nzbush #hikingnz #abandonedplaces #australiancattledog #traildog #bushbash #newzealand