Distance: 5.7 km (5.0 DOC hours) - Tramping track - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 258m to 512m. Gain: 661m. Loss: 445m . Gradient: 11 deg (Moderate)
Skills: Occasional scrambles (3/7) - Streams (2/6)

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

Occasional scrambles (difficulty: 3/7)
Tramp with some scrambles and exposure to falls

Streams (difficulty: 2/6)
Small streams, danger only in extreme weather

Unknown (difficulty: 0/7)
Not specified

A good marked / cut track starts at the door end of Kiwi Flat Hut and climbs gently up the broad lower sections of Headlong Spur. After 1.5km, at the end of the flat section shown on maps, a signpost 'Headlong' marks the track junction where the Waitara track drops off the spur and the Headlong track continues to climb. Dropping north off the spur, the Waitara track sidles the steep face of the gorge upriver. The track is very steep in places, and has many more climbs and descents than topomaps indicate. It is slow, tiring going, but the track is at least well marked and cut.

After about 3km the track drops to the riverbed just downstream of Antony Creek. An easy 2km riverbed section follow to Moonbeam Torrent, all on the true left (south) bank. In the Waitara, 100m upstream of the Moonbeam confluence, track markers mark the start of a track which climbs 50m to Moonbeam Hut on the terrace above.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

From Moonbeam Hut a short track drops steeply to the Waitaha riverbed. 2km of riverbed walking follow on the true left, with a couple of short bypass sections cut into the bush and marked. This is reasonably easy going on good river rocks.

At the bend downstream of Antony Creek the sidle track starts, marked by orange triangles where the map says it should be. The track climbs steeply, and then sidles the steep face for about 3km. The re are many more climbs and descents on this track than shown on the map and it is a slow, tiring trip. The track is, however, well cut and marked.

1.5km upstream of the hut, at the start of the large terrace shown on maps, the track joins the Headlong Spur track at a signposted track junction. An easy walk down a gentle track follows the broad spur down to Kiwi Flat Hut