Distance: 4.3 km (2.0 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, clear - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 743m to 1203m. Gain: 523m. Loss: 101m . Gradient: 8 deg (Moderate)
Skills: - Streams (2/6)

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

minor (5/5)
A viable route, not widely used

Moderate (difficulty: 3/5)
Occasional moderate climbs

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

No description

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

From Otore hut, head due north across the clearing and then through mature beech to the saddle. Once at the saddle, turn due west and continue that way until the slope becomes noticeable. From here, follow the northern face of the ridge, keeping at the altitude of the saddle, or climbing slightly if required to avoid steep going. This route takes you acroiss one small dry gully, over a spur, across a west-leading face and on to the main ridgeline where it drops north from pt1384 towards pt1149.

Follow the good open ridge north over pt1149, and pick up the spur swinging NW then W 300m north of the highpoint. Choose a spur dropping WNW (I took the 2nd) and follow it down the the main Waitawherio River through open beech forest. Cross the Waitawhero (ankle deep in normal flows) and pick up the NS Oamaru-Boyd track some 100m west of the creek in the valleyside.

The good cut, marked DOC track can be followed north across one sidecreek to a signposted track junction (Cascade Hut/Oamaru Hut) just before the 2nd creek.