A new $165,000 day shelter for independent and guided day trampers at the Routeburn Flats Hut on the Routeburn Track is ready for use after two months of construction.
The hut is very popular with day visitors but before the new shelter was built, there were limited facilities for them there.
Department of Conservation (Doc) Wakatipu conservation services ranger Will McBeth said the round trip from the road end to the flats was three to four hours, so was an ideal length for a shorter visit.
''On a sunny day it was fine, but on a wet day there were few places for people to go,'' Mr McBeth said.
''On a number of days, there were over 100 people trying to shelter and have lunch in the 20-bunk Routeburn Flats Hut.
''The department recognised that overcrowding was occurring so looked into ways of improving the experience for visitors.''
The new shelter has been designed so it has undercover seating, benches and a cooker, with gas provided, so day visitors have somewhere to shelter from the elements while having lunch and a hot drink.
The Routeburn Track is a 32km multiday tramp that is undertaken by about 14,000 people, both guided and independent, each year.
Doc estimates the track as a whole, including the Glenorchy and Te Anau road ends, receives about 49,000 guided and independent visitors a year.
''The extension of the day shelter at the Routeburn Flats Hut has provided an excellent day visitor destination and improved the experience for overnight visitors, too, by alleviating the issues of crowding,'' Mr McBeth said.
