Distance: 1.0 km (0.5 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, clear - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 619m to 638m. Gain: 28m. Loss: 24m . Gradient: 3 deg (Flat)
Skills: - Occasional rivers (3/6)

Unmarked route, clear (7/9)
Unmarked route, follows obvious geography (river, spur, trail, etc)

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

Flat (difficulty: 1/5)
Flat

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

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

Occasional rivers (difficulty: 3/6)
Occasional rivers - impassible after heavy rain

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

From the southern side of the bridge over Taumutu Stream, an unmarked, unsignposted route leads up Taumutu Stream to either Mangamate Hut or Upper Whirinaki Hut. Following the worn trail on the northern bank, drop to the riverbed and follow it upriver for 1km. There are occasional markers, but this is effectively an unmarked route. In place riverbank travel is possible, and in others travel is in the water. A few meters above the confluence with Kakaiti stream (the first major valley on the true left) a large signpost marks the start of the track up Kakaiti to Mangamate Hut.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

Below the Mangamate turnoff, the route down Taumutu Stream deteriorates from a marked to unmarked route. Effectively, you are left to follow the riverbed downriver for the remaining 1km to the Central Whirinaki cycleway. Crossings are frequent, as is in-stream travel.

The stream is still small in normal-moderate flows, but below the confluence/junction it has the potential to be impassable after heavy rain.