Distance: 12.9 km (4.0 DOC hours) - Tramping track - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 900m to 1685m. Gain: 818m. Loss: 853m . Gradient: 7 deg (Moderate)
Skills: Alpine weather (2/7) - 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

Alpine weather (difficulty: 2/7)
Tramp on open tops, exposed to alpine weather

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

Unknown (difficulty: 0/7)
Not specified

No description

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

From Top Timaru Hut the well marked Te Ararora trail heads up valley to the valley head. The track becomes an old bulldozed 4WD for the crossing over the Mt Martha saddle, the track clearly visible from the valley floor zig-zagging up to the saddle. There was quite a bit of snow on both sides of the saddle in October 2020 but it was ok to cross without ice axes, even the descent into the head waters of the Avon Burn and should be snow free by December.

The well marked 4WD track continues down through farm land on the Avon Burn side to eventually head around the stock yards shown on the topomap to reach the sign posted track junction with the Melina Ridge Track. Shortly past here, ford the Avon Burn (shin deep under normal flows) to reach Tin Hut.