Dan Keane

Guest writer

Dan Keane is a writer living in the Wairarapa, and currently a PhD candidate at the International Institute of Modern Letters. He writes the newsletter american.nz.

Do we lose something when huts have electric lights? Image: Tina Tiller

Lights at a hut are like togs in a sauna

Around the country, DOC is upgrading backcountry huts with solar panels and electric lights. But as technology evolves, are we losing something special?

By Dan Keane | 16th June, 2025