Distance: 4.6 km (3.0 DOC hours) - Tramping track - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 811m to 1050m. Gain: 345m. Loss: 212m . Gradient: 7 deg (Gentle)
Skills: - 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

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 Ngaawapurua Hut the track heads north climbing & sidling along the western side of the valley for 1 km through mature beech forest, before swinging NW-N & continuing to sidle in to & out of narrow, 2-3m wide streams (knee deep in normal flow) for another 2 kms. The track drops into the valley floor for the next 2 km with numerous side-creek crossings leading up to the Harkness forks.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

Below the Harkness forks the track remains on the valley for for a further 2km with a handful more stream crossings. The stream is knee deep (normal flows) at most crossings, but still quite narrow - 2 to 3m wide. The track then climbs the western valleyside through mature beech forest and sidles the remaining 3km before dropping to Ngaawapurua Hut 50m upriver form the forks with the Ngaruroro. 1.5-3 hrs