Distance: 5.8 km (3.0 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, clear - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 571m to 748m. Gain: 68m. Loss: 245m . Gradient: 3 deg (Gentle)
Skills: - Occasional rivers (3/6)

Unmarked route, clear (7/9)
Unmarked route, follows obvious geography (river, spur, trail, etc)

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

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

A riverbed route runs down the Maitland Stream. There is a Queens Chain so this is a legal route. However, this means remaining in the river all the way to the bridge, and not popping out onto good farmed river terraces for the last 1.5km. The route is reasonable - on good fine river rocks and gravel, with some sections on beech terraces alongside. Crossings are knee-to-thigh deep in normal flows.

An alternative is to head upriver up the Maitland and pick up the tramping track climbing the southern valleyside - however note that that track requires permission from Lake Ohau Station.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

No description