Distance: 4.3 km (2.0 DOC hours) - Tramping track - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 280m to 701m. Gain: 230m. Loss: 645m . Gradient: 12 deg (Moderate)
Skills:

Tramping track (4/9)
Cut, marked tramping track: natural, rough ground surface

Primary, mapped (1/5)
Formal route, on maps, principal access to hut or along range / catchment

Moderate (difficulty: 3/5)
Occasional moderate climbs

Easy-moderate (difficulty: 2/5)
Tussock / river-gravel / open bush / cut track

None (difficulty: 1/7)
No alpine skills required

None (difficulty: 1/6)
No unbridged river crossings

None (difficulty: 1/7)
No alpine skills required

Mangaone / Mangame Hut sits 20m west of the main ridge track, although the track to the hut is not marked but is fairly obvious. The hut is locked although it has a nice veranda & the water tank tap is accessible for water.

From the hut continue south along the ridge on a well cut & well marked track. The track drops into a small bush saddle & then climbs up to pt. 706. Not far beyond this point the track drops & swings SW & then W & descends a bush spur all the way to a bush knoll on the 500m contour (NE of Otapukawa Hut).

From this knoll the track swings briefly N & then NW & across a flat section to the 400m contour. From here the track drops W down to the Otapukawa Stream.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

A good marked track climbs east from the forks of the Mangaone and Otapukawa Stream up the spur. A bit of windfall (2015) but good and well marked. The track is nowhere near the line shown on topomaps (see accompanying map).

Swinging north you pass a puzzling 'This is not a track' sign, but the orange triangles and the cut track continue, dropping north to a a low saddle and climbing again.

Mangaone / Mangame Hut is 20m west of the track at the next summit. The track to the hut is not marked but is fairly obvious.The hut is locked but the tap is accessible for water.