Distance: 3.9 km (1.5 DOC hours) - Road - Easy terrain
Altitude: 364m to 629m. Gain: 143m. Loss: 273m . Gradient: 6 deg (Gentle)
Skills: - Streams (2/6)

Road (1/9)
Formed road, 4WD track, etc

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

Gentle (difficulty: 2/5)
Gentle slopes

Easy (difficulty: 1/5)
Grass / prepared surface

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

This is not really a tramping route but the most practical way I've found of connecting these two sections of the northern Tararuas.

From pt510, drop SW along the logging track until it runs out. Continue SW, leaving the pines and dropping into native bush. A flagging-tape marked route drops down the spur towards the main confluence of Kahuterawa Steam. Cross the stream above the confluence and scramble up the opposite bank to where you'll find a logging track.

Turn right along the track which soon swings up the side valley. follow it across 2 small gullies to a maintained gravel track. Turn right to drop into the 3rd, larger gully, and then cut back onto the next spur to a major track junction. Follow this track (the 2nd shown on the maps) south up the spur all the way to the back boundary of the forestry. Here, where the 3 logging tracks meet, is the start of the Punga Track.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

This is not really a tramping route but the most practical way I've found of connecting these two sections of the northern Tararuas.

From the Punga Track start, take the easternmost of the three forestry tracks, dropping ENE through pines.

Cut right down the 2nd? sidetrack in the cleared area, as shown on the map, crossing the creek and cutting back down the face of the next spur east.

Ignore the main track as it turns south up the spur, taking a less-well-formed forestry track which drops north and swings east to cross the next two sidecreeks.

Turn off the track just above the confluence with the main creek (at the point where the track cuts SE up the 3rd spur) - and drop to the river through native bush. Cross the creek and pick up the spur opposite, still in native. A flagging-tape marked route climbs the NE up the spur until it again enters pine forests above where you pick up another logging track. Follow this track a further 800m NE to reach pt520.