Distance: 5.7 km (4.0 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, clear - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 372m to 490m. Gain: 2m. Loss: 118m . Gradient: 1 deg (Flat)
Skills: - Prolonged rivers (4/6)

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

Flat (difficulty: 1/5)
Flat

Easy-moderate (difficulty: 2/5)
Tussock / river-gravel / open bush / cut track

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

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

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

No permanent track exists down the Taramakau - this is a riverbed route. The shingle flats are continuously changing and route may differ from that described here.

I walked down the Taramakau in persistent rain. It is probably possible to complete the entire trip on the southern bank (missing Kiwi Hut) but steep faces upstream of Yeo Creek mean that crossing even minor side-creeks is tricky in high-water conditions, and so if the main Taramakau is not fordable below Locke Stream you are probably best sitting it out at the hut.

Head down the river flats from Locke Stream Hut, crossing as required. Below Yeo Creek it is possible to remain on the southern bank all the way to Otira. Townsend Creek reportedly floods badly, but was a thigh-deep, viable crossing when I visited.

The turnoff to Townsend Hut is not marked and is 400m upstream of the Michael Creek confluence.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

No description