Distance: 2.0 km (1.0 DOC hours) - Road - Easy terrain
Altitude: 252m to 354m. Gain: 119m. Loss: 38m . Gradient: 5 deg (Gentle)
Skills: - Occasional rivers (3/6)

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

Occasional rivers (difficulty: 3/6)
Occasional rivers - impassible after heavy rain

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

From Waiotauru Hut, follow the road downriver, and cross the river at the ford. This is knee deep in normal conditions, but this can easily flood.

On the opposite bank, head downriver on the roadbed. After 300m the current 4WD track cuts sharply left off the old roadbed, dropping steeply to the river, crossing twice and following the riverbed downstream before cutting back onto the eastern bank and climbing steeply back to the roadbed 50m below the sidecreek.

If on foot do not drop left, but follow the old roadbed south. Scramble down to the sidecreek and up the far side where the old bridge was, and pick the roadbed up again on the far side.

The old road, still used by 4WD, climbs gently as it sidles downstream. After about 800m a clear junction is reached with another old road dropping steeply from the east to join the Oddlands Road.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

From the road junction, the roadbed continues north, dropping gently back towards the Waioutauru. This section is open to 4WD and so the roadbed is wide and rutted in places,

Just before the major sidecreek (shown on the maps) the current 4WD track cuts sharply right off the old roadbed, dropping steeply to the river, crossing twice, and following the riverbed upstream before cutting back onto the eastern bank 50m above the sidecreek.

The tramping track does not drop right, but continues south down the old roadbed and then scrambles down to the creek and up the far side where the old bridge was.

Beyond the creek, the 4WD track and tramping track reunite and follow the eastern bank upriver a further 500m to a large mud/gravel cleared area. An old logging track continues up the eastern bank, but ignoring that turn right here and follow the current road, fording the river. The crossing is knee deep in normal conditions, but this can easily flood.

On the western bank the gravel road heads a upstream for a few hundred meters to the much-abused Waiotauru Hut.