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DOC Land
Altitude: 256m to 363m. Gain: 62m. Loss: 169m . Gradient: 3 deg (Moderate)
Skills: - Prolonged rivers (4/6)
On the northern side of the Taurawharona Hut clearing, a triangle promises a track not marked on the maps. This drops north-east, well cut and well marked to the river, and ends.
The river is broad, mainly knee-to-thigh deep, and occupying all of its bed. DOC have kindly placed triangle on overhanging trees over the flow, in case you thought you'd taken the wrong river, I suppose. But there is no real track - just long sequence of riverbank sections interspersed with over 3 crossings. After passing large side streams (Hanehane and Motuhouhi) on both north and south sides, a triangle on the true left marks the start of a sidle track. Climbing briefly, this sidles 10m above the river before crossing to the true right and continuing for a km-or-so all up, before the triangles end abruptly. A well-worn deer trail continues ahead, climbing to 40m-or-so above the river. Finally the deer trail peters out and drops to the river at the confluence 1km above the hut. We resume our criss-crossing of the river until, 500m before the hut, a triangle on the true left marks the commencement of another track.
The valley broadens - a river flat of fern and nikau palms on the valley floor. We find ourselves walking for the first time on daylight, not shade as clearing become frequent. Finally the trees cease completely for a 200m long clearing, at the top of which sits Otanetea Hut, beside the river on the true left bank.