Distance: 6.1 km (1.5 DOC hours) - Road - Easy terrain
Altitude: 814m to 961m. Gain: 197m. Loss: 63m . Gradient: 2 deg (Gentle)
Skills:

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 (difficulty: 1/5)
Grass / prepared surface

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

None (difficulty: 1/6)
No unbridged river crossings

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

The 4WD track running west from the Pakahunui roadend starts through manuka scrub, but after a few km enters pine blocks. These were being felled in 2014, and though no signage informed those exiting from the Whirinaki of the fact, the public, legal road was closed to the public. Luckily it was a Sunday and no-one was around!

Cutting south, away from the creek, the track climbs into a post-logging wasteland, meanders on bare ridges through a landscape of desolation. After 6km, cresting a rise, an obvious crossroads is reached, the left turn – not signposted – but leading to the former Matakuhia Saddle Hut site, where to destruction ends, and native bush resumes.

All that remains of Matakuhia Saddle Hut is the fireplace, but a handy signpost points down a canyon-like track into the bush: 'Upper Matakuhia Hut, 3hrs'

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

All that remains of Matakuhia Saddle Hut is the fireplace, but it marks the point where sheltering native ends, and exposed post-logging desolation starts. A 4WD track cuts north 200m to meet the main forestry access track at a crossroads. This road is a public, legal road, and should be open to vehicles and walkers, unless logging is in operation. As this area was clear-felled in 2013-2014 it should be ok for a while now.

Turning right, heading east, the 2WD-accessible track meanders along the ridgeline for a couple of kilometers before dropping to the creek to the north. It follows this, leaving the recently-felled pines and entering regenerating manuka scrub, crosses the creek, and continues a further kilometer to the start of the Upper Te Hoe track. The track is on the left, cutting up above the road, and is marked with a signpost. Some parking is available here, and more a little further along.

The former Pukahunui Hut is no more.