Stu Thorne

Stu started work as a Lands and Survey Ranger at Mount Cook in 1970 but transferred to Mount Aspiring National Park in 1973, living in Wanaka, until he retired in 2010. He then spent the following 10 summers working as a hut warden, mainly at Aspiring Hut. The hut was replaced by the NZ Alpine Club in 2022 and Stu was employed as site manager for the rebuild.

Stu’s time with Lands and Survey and DOC involved, for the first 20 years, maintenance of recreational facilities, including huts, bridges, campgrounds and tracks, and interpretation to park visitors during summer holiday programmes, particularly schools. His second 20 years focused on ecological restoration. Stu led the reintroduction of South Island robins to the West Matukituki and buff weka from the Chatham Islands to Lake Wānaka. He also had a large role in Search & Rescue and mountain safety, and with seven trips to Antarctica and seven months on Raoul Island.

Stu was awarded a QSM in 2020 for services to Conservation and Search & Rescue.

"Before I joined the service, I was working for Mt Cook Airlines with the vague idea of eventually becoming a pilot (I never have) and before that I was working for an insurance company inspecting claims. I have a long history of tramping and climbing and it was always my intention to try and get a job in the mountain environment, so I was delighted to get a Rangers job in Mt Cook in 1969. I was at Mt Cook for nearly 4 years and then in 1972 transferred down to Mt Aspiring National Park in Wanaka."