Distance: 9.2 km (4.0 DOC hours) - Tramping track - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 717m to 930m. Gain: 276m. Loss: 91m . Gradient: 2 deg (Gentle)
Skills: - Occasional rivers (3/6)

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

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

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

Unknown (difficulty: 0/7)
Not specified

From the car park on the Birchwood Road the well marked Te Araroa Trail heads towards the Avon Burn through farm land. The TA has been routed along the rivers edge thorough the scrub, not along the old Melina Ridge Track which still shows on some maps, but the old route is still followable on top of the terrace about 20 metres above the river.

The TA crosses the Avon Burn where the map says. This is a knee deep crossing under normal flows, but is quite impassible when the river is in flood. A series of islands and channels about 400m down river are your best bet for crossing when the river is up. Once across to the True Right, the track climbs a hill and passes over a farm stile to reach a 4WD track. The markers follow the 4WD track all the way to Tin Hut.

2-3 hours

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

Follow the TA markers along the 4WD track, and over a stile to reach the crossing point on the Avon Burn. Once across, the markers follow the true left river bank through scrub down river, but an old track leads up onto the open terrace about 20m above the river which can be followed instead, if preferred. The markers lead across farmland to connect to the car park on Birchwood Road.