Distance: 3.1 km (1.3 DOC hours) - Marked route - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 637m to 769m. Gain: 133m. Loss: 73m . Gradient: 4 deg (Gentle)
Skills: - Streams (2/6)

Marked route (6/9)
Uncut route, with markers normally within sight

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

Gentle (difficulty: 2/5)
Gentle slopes

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

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

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

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

From the Kakaiti Confluence, a marked route runs up Taumutu Stream for about 1.5km. At the point where the map shows the route turning up a sidestream, a good cut marked track begins, climbing not up the stream as shown on the map, but onto the spur. Once there the good cut marked track follows the spur south before dropping to the saddle at the head of the sidestream. The cut, marked tramping track then returns to the route shown on maps, following a gully south towards Upper Whirinaki Hut, before swinging out of it, round a spur and dropping to the hut.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

From Upper Whirinaki Hut, a signpost stating 'River Track 2.25hrs' points towards Central Whirinaki Hut. Counter-intuitively this track climbs out of the valley, away from the river, rounding a spur and following a small gully north to a low saddle.

From the saddle, another climb, in a gentle grassy valley follows - clearly the track shown on the map, dropping from the saddle down a stream, is inaccurate. The actual track must climb onto one of the spurs to the east or west of the gully shown - I'm guessing east, but I could be wrong. Whichever, a good cut marked track follows the spur north for a kilometer or so. Finally, the good cut, marked track runs out of spur to follow and drops to the main Taumutu Stream at the forks.

Once in the stream, the cut track ends, though frequent markers continue downriver. The route follows the river for 1.5km, crossing frequently, until it reaches the confluence with Kakaiti Stream (from the east). Here, a large signpost on the eastern bank marks the start of the track to Mangamate Hut.