Distance: 10.2 km (4.0 DOC hours) - Road - Easy terrain
Altitude: 505m to 925m. Gain: 383m. Loss: 542m . Gradient: 5 deg (Gentle)
Skills:

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

Primary, mapped (1/5)
Formal route, on maps, principal access to hut or along range / catchment

Gentle (difficulty: 2/5)
Gentle slopes

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

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

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

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

A long, unexciting road section links the Gentle Annie summit with Comet Hut. The duirst road heads north from Comet along the plateau before descendign steeply (for a road) to join the Gentle Annie highway at Moatangiora. From here the highway heads NW crossing one ridge, dropping to the Kakekino and then winding its way up to the Gentle Annie Summit. At the very summit, an old dirt roadbed heads briefly north for 20m to where a lone green post is all that remains of the signpost that once marked the track to Te Irenga.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

A long, unexciting road section links the Gentle Annie summit with Comet Hut. Follow the highway as it winds down to Kakekino Stream, climbs again and drops to the Moatangiora. Take the dirt Comet Road south and climb steeply to reach to Comet plateau, which the road follows south to reach Comet Hut at the roadend.