Distance: 7.6 km (3.0 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, clear - Moderate terrain
Altitude: 896m to 1247m. Gain: 523m. Loss: 172m . Gradient: 5 deg (Moderate)
Skills: - Prolonged rivers (4/6) Winter - Snow/ice underfoot, avalanche risk (3/7)

Unmarked route, clear (7/9)
Unmarked route, follows obvious geography (river, spur, trail, etc)

Primary, unmapped (2/5)
Route not on maps, but is principal access to hut or along range / catchment

Moderate (difficulty: 3/5)
Occasional moderate climbs

Moderate (difficulty: 3/5)
Low scrub in open or bush / river rocks

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

Prolonged rivers (difficulty: 4/6)
Frequent river travel - impassible after rain, risk of getting trapped

Snow/ice underfoot, avalanche risk (difficulty: 3/7)
Snow/ice likely on track, tramp crosses avalance paths

(updated with notes from duplicate route by Millera)

This was the most uncertain part of the trip. Hence I have included a lot of detail for those considering it. The head of the East Matakitaki is a beautiful valley, and would make a lovely place to camp.

No track is marked on the 1:50,000 topo map upstream from the East Matakitaki Hut. However, travel for approximately 1km upstream from the hut is easy going on the true left on river flats, with two river crossings deemed preferable to avoid a steep bush clad bank on the true left. At the river flow, with no significant rain for some days, these were thigh deep in places but easily manageable.
At the end of the river flats the slopes either side of the river become steep, with what appeared to be a gorge-like section. From here, at 930 m, a track has been made through the forest on the true left for about 1km, despite the map showing none. It begins roughly 70 m away from the river on the true left, at the bush edge. It is worth finding this, as the travel is reasonably easy going on this marked track, with markers reasonably frequent.

Beyond the end of this track there are sections of boulders, re-entering the bush, and unmarked track. From the clearing at 990 m travel is possible on the river flats on the true left. After this clearing the track re-enters bush on the true left, where it is rough and very overgrown, but avoids travelling in the riverbed / river crossings. The track then emerges to another clearing, crossing a side-stream from the true left at about 1035 m.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

From the point where the Davids Saddle route joins the Matakitaki valley downstream, there are intermittent footpads, requiring frequent river crossings to pick up easier travel on the grassy flats. Just 2km from the hut, on the TL, is a benched cut 1km track, initially climbing away from the river and then back to the flats. 1km above the hut, we crossed to the grassy flat on the TR, crossing back to the TL at the hut.