Distance: 1.7 km (1.0 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, hard - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 361m to 663m. Gain: 302m. Loss: 104m . Gradient: 14 deg (Moderate)
Skills:

Unmarked route, hard (8/9)
Unmarked route, no clear geographic features to follow

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

Heading north this is easy. Take the clear spur heading ENE from the forks, and swing NNE where you hit the ridge until broad flats at the shoulder of Bawbaw. Head north along the broad tops on good game trails, dropping slightly west and sidling (as the gametrails do) when the ridge becomes scrubby. Continue down the clear spur to the 1st forks of the Pakuratahi, where campspots are available (the last for several km).

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

From the last forks in the Pakuratahi head south and pick up a defined spur swinging ESE. Vegetation starts open with very clear game trails. The ridgeline becomes scrubby, but goos siding, again on game trails, follows it just to the west, returning to the ridge for the last 200m to the western shoulder of Bawbaw.

The spur into the Waiorongomai can be hard to find heading south, and very good map&compass skills are required. It is easy to end up on the next spur north dropping into the head of the Waiorongomai, but the valley is barely navigable at this stage so don't do it!

The correct spur, once found, is narrow & well defined, but you must judge your moment to swing WSW towards the forks and avoid continuing south into the choked steep sidecreek.