Distance: 9.7 km (9.0 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, hard - Moderate terrain
Altitude: 676m to 1215m. Gain: 846m. Loss: 888m . Gradient: 10 deg (Moderate-hard)
Skills: - Occasional rivers (3/6)

Unmarked route, hard (8/9)
Unmarked route, no clear geographic features to follow

minor (5/5)
A viable route, not widely used

Moderate-hard (difficulty: 4/5)
Continuous moderate climbs

Moderate (difficulty: 3/5)
Low scrub in open or bush / river rocks

Unknown (difficulty: 0/7)
Not specified

Occasional rivers (difficulty: 3/6)
Occasional rivers - impassible after heavy rain

Unknown (difficulty: 0/7)
Not specified

Off Track route while trying to stay on public land. This route would have crossed briefly into private land near the Mangatainoka saddle, but it is unlikely anyone will mind.
Steady slog up the spur from Mangatainoka Hut. The spur changes direction several times and also flattens out several times which makes it confusing to know when you are actually at the top. Go through a couple of small knolls in clearings that were slightly alpine in appearance. From there start sidling across the slope due North into the saddle. The Ngatira top is flat wide and obvious and very clean of undergrowth.
West through the saddle above Hemi stream then South West along the narrow ridge to Pt 1090. There is some tape around the tree at the high point.
North and then West on the spur before dropping down NorthWest to the Mangapapa Stream. At the confluence, take the South West branch and climb up to the ridge. Deer city in here.
Once on the Otoretunaiti River it is a fairly easy walk down to the Oamaru River. This will be tricky to cross in heavy rainfall.
Track to Oamaru Hut

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

No description