Distance: 6.7 km (2.3 DOC hours) - Road - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 818m to 954m. Gain: 166m. Loss: 126m . Gradient: 2 deg (Gentle)
Skills: - Streams (2/6)

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

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

Streams (difficulty: 2/6)
Small streams, danger only in extreme weather

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

A rough but obvious 4WD track runs up Paddle Hill valley from the Te Araroa turnoff. Crossing a small sidecreek (ankle deep) after 1km it zigzags up a face to the marshy upper valley where it continues all the way to the saddle a further 4km beyond. Several small sidecreeks are crossed and wet feet are likely in wet marshy ground. Soon after the saddle a 4WD track joins from the left (west): this is the route to Potts Hut and is signposted. Boundary Creek Hut lies a further 600m own the main track past the turnoff.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

From Boundary Creek Hut follow the obvious 4WD track climbing SE to the low saddle, passing the turnoff (right) to Potts Hut after 600m. Crossing the saddle the track becomes boggy, descending marshy flats in the head of Pudding Hill Creek. A zigzag descent takes the track down to the main valley, and 1km beyond a 4WD track joins - dropping from terraces on the left (south). This is the junction with Te Araroa to Lake Clearwater (and was not signposted in Mar 2016).