Distance: 4.7 km (2.5 DOC hours) - Tramping track - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 596m to 717m. Gain: 221m. Loss: 143m . Gradient: 4 deg (Moderate)
Skills: - Streams (2/6)

Tramping track (4/9)
Cut, marked tramping track: natural, rough ground surface

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

Moderate (difficulty: 3/5)
Occasional moderate climbs

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

From the signposted junction at the confluence of Kakaiti Strean and Taumutu Stream, a good cut marked tramping track leads across flats beside Kakaiti Stream. After a couple of hundred meters, this crosses the stream, and heads up a side gully on the northern valleyside, heading roughly NE. The gully i narrow, its base only large enough to hold the smalls stream which runs down it, and as such travel is up the stream-cum-track. This steadily climbs, gaining 100m of altitude by the time it reaches the saddle.

North of the saddle, the cut, marked tramping track sidles the true left for a while, before dropping to the stream. The story here is the same as to the south. Stream=Path. However, the route is well marked. Soon however, small flats of punga and fern appear, and sections of track cut across them, though still frequently crossing the small stream.

A kilometer or so downriver, on what is now a fairly well established tramping track on the banks, a larger stream joins from the east and the valley widens to broad flats. 300m later the river swings west, and the track leaves it, making a sharp right turn and starting a sidling climb up the eastern face of a gully to the north. The track here in an old benched track which has been recently recut, rebenched and reopened. Very good going, despite the steady climb.

Mangamate Hut site in a clearing just to the north of the saddle at the gullies head. Sheltered from the southerly, the place booms and rattles in a nor-wester. Not helped by the fact that all the windows have broken latches and are stopped from flapping in the win only by loose string.

All streams are small and should not be an issue except in exceptionally heavy rainfall.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

Dropping south from Mangamate Hut, the cut, benched track sidles the valleyside to reach Kakanui Stream. Here the benched track ends, and a more typical tramping track starts upriver, crossing the creek and wandering up the flats. 300m upriver is a fork, with the main flow entering from the SE. The track however, continues south up the smaller valley. Soon the track fades to a riverbed route, still marked, and we climb the creek upriver. Finally, a marked track cuts out of the creek on the west (true right) and climbs, sidling to the saddle at the valley head.

South of the saddle the process is repeated, the marked route dropping in-stream down the gully to the south, swinging west and joining Kakaiti Stream on flats below. 200m of good cut tramping track leads across flats to the signposted junction at the confluence with Taumutu Stream.

All streams are small and should not be an issue except in exceptionally heavy rainfall.