Godley River

Access up the Godley River East Bank to Godley Hut
Route 8A on topo, grade I, 1
Unless you're a die-hard walking in only purist, you'll almost certainly use a 4WD vehicle for your approach up the Godley. It is a very big valley and foot access is long and tedious. Some parties have used mountain bikes.
On the eastern side of the Lake Tekapo township, turn off Highway 8 onto the unsealed Lilybank Road and follow this for approximately 20km to the Macaulay River. 2WD vehicles can make it this far, but the remaining 47km is strictly 4WD only.
Crossing the Macaulay River is a serious proposition, even for proper high-clearance 4WDs (don’t try taking your Subaru Legacy). Two vehicles are recommended so you can pull out bogged vehicles.
During winter the river is lower, but still unsuitable for low-clearance vehicles.
Beyond the Macaulay River the road leads to Lilybank Station, to the left of the main buildings. The road weaves between farm sheds and barns past pine trees to follow a fence line. Leave gates as you find them. Past the station the ‘road’ becomes a route. It turns out onto the Godley River flats and proceeds up valley. The route, which is punctuated with sections of old road and cairns. remains on the true left (east) side of the valley. A sign welcoming you to Aoraki Mount Cook National Park is situated about 5km before Red Stag Hut. The vehicle route finally peters out near Separation Stream. A vague foot track starts on the north side of Separation Stream and travels along the eastern edge of the lower Godley Lake for about 300m. Godley Hut is situated up on a moraine shelf, 10 or so minutes past FitzGerald Stream.

Access to the Godley River West Bank
Route 8B on topo, grade I, 1
The recommended option for accessing the west bank including Eade Memorial Hut, is to cross the river – either in a 4WD or on foot – from the east bank at a point where the river splits into multiple braids. This is only possible during normal to low flows.

Shelter
Eade Memorial Hut
~975m, grid ref: BX17 965 785
Owned by the New Zealand Deerstalkers Association. It has 4-6 bunks.

Red Stag Hut
~950m, grid ref: BX17 982 762
Owned by the New Zealand Deerstalkers Association. It has four bunks and some kitchen equipment.

Godley Hut
~1110m, grid ref: BX17 987 828
Owned by the NZAC. It has eight bunks, a mountain radio (link to Christchurch), and some kitchen utensils.

Rankin Hut
Private and currently half-crushed by a pine tree.