Distance: 7.1 km (3.0 DOC hours) - Benched track - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 265m to 467m. Gain: 210m. Loss: 322m . Gradient: 4 deg (Moderate)
Skills:

Benched track (3/9)
Benched, maintained, marked tramping track or pack-track

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

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

None (difficulty: 1/6)
No unbridged river crossings

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

No description

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

A farm track leads from the DOC signpost at the gate on the right before the farmhouse. 2km along a gravelled track on river flats follows before you reach a collection of farm sheds. At the sheds, to the left off the track, is a gate with a wooden DOC sign on it - easy to miss in the dark.

A couple of easy kilometers follow on a cut, marked track on river flats. After that the track - well defined and benched into the hillside, starts to climb and sidle. A dozen or so climbs and descent to the valleyside then follow before you finally drop to the swingbridge and cross the Waingawa to the west bank.

Mitre Flats hut is 100m further up river, over another sidestream which is spanned by a bridge.