Distance: 4.6 km (1.5 DOC hours) - Road - Easy terrain
Altitude: 317m to 630m. Gain: 390m. Loss: 77m . Gradient: 6 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

This access runs through PNCC-owned forestry and has been predominantly closed for years due to logging. The good news is they'll soon run out of trees to cut down. Contact Palmerston North City Council to check is access is possible.

From Scott's Roadend, follow the main forestry road south / upriver. After about 2km a track junction is reached - go straight on, ignoring the turnoff to Burtton's Track. At a second junction 50m beyond take the right-hand fork, shown on the map continuing to the back boundary. Follow it all the way to the end of the forestry 300m shy of pt686.

This highest point reached by this track is the start of the Punga Track. The track is hard to find across the fenceline.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

This access runs through PNCC-owned forestry and has been predominantly closed for years due to logging. The good news is they'll soon run out of trees to cut down. Contact Palmerston North City Council to check is access is possible.

From the Punga Track follow the left-hand forestry track north. After 100m, take the right-hand fork, continuing north through pine forest as it descend. Follow this track all the way to the locked gate at the forest boundary, 4.5km away. This is the Scott's Road roadend.