The hut was built in 2008 by members of NZDA West Coast & SCINZ to replace the old Lame Duck Hut. Originally, part of the old McCormicks Hut (which was left at the confluence of the Copland & Karangarua Rivers after being removed from a ridge above the Franz Josef Glacier) was to be used. Unfortunately, the old McCormicks Hut didn’t make it all the way to its new site, having to be dropped for safety reasons by the chopper transporting it. Edit Hut