Distance: 2.6 km (1.0 DOC hours) - Unmaintained track - Moderate terrain
Altitude: 98m to 162m. Gain: 184m. Loss: 205m . Gradient: 9 deg (Flat)
Skills: - Occasional rivers (3/6)

Unmaintained track (5/9)
Former track, overgrown - markers / ground trail still followable

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

Flat (difficulty: 1/5)
Flat

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

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

Crossing the Wahaatua to the flats on the far bank, triangles lead up the southern valleyside from the back of the flat. The river is crossable in normal flows, but it is a large catchment and seems likely to flood in heavy rain. The marked track climbs some 40m before depositing you on another ‘Urutawa road’ (pack track). This one has not had a dingo through it, and is overgrown and crumbling. Having delivered you onto the pack-track, the markers stop and you are left to pick your way west along it, sidling westwards along the valleyside. In places it has slipped away and it is necessary to scramble up and round the falls, and pick up the track again on the far side. The track finally emerges onto a flat terrace of tall grass in between the junction of the Whaaatua and Tokenui. A few plastic bags have been tied to trees to mark the start for those heading east, but it’s not obvious. Here it joins another Urutawa road, which runs down the Tokenui valley, dropping to the river junction in a series of zigzags. DOC have removed the markers that formerly pointed up this track, and instead a signpost at the bottom points people unhelpfully up the riverbed.

Crossing the river a few times, heading downstream, a good pack track emerges from the flow on the eastern bank and climbs 30m to grassy, sloped terraces. 200m beyond in a large paddock site Te Waaiti Hut.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

Following the track south from Te Waiti Hut, you are deposited at the river. Crossing it a few time you reach the forks with the Wahaatua Stream. Just beyond, at a DOC signpost which gives no indication of the track, an old track climbs onto grassy terraces between the two forks. Following this onto the 1st flats, you can pick up a faint track sidling 20m above the Wahaatua stream along the downhill side of the grassy area. Once out of the grass and into the bush this transforms into a benched track cut into the hillside - now overgrown but still followable.

One slip about 1km upriver has obliterated the track, and whilst easy to cross, you may have to nose around to pick up the track again on the far side.

2km above the confluence a track marked with DOC triangles drops from the benched roadway to the flat at the confluence shown on the map. The track to Pakihi hut starts on the opposite bank. The river is crossable in normal flows, but it is a large catchment and seems likely to flood in heavy rain.