Distance: 8.2 km (4.0 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, clear - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 153m to 613m. Gain: 65m. Loss: 525m . Gradient: 4 deg (Flat)
Skills: - Prolonged rivers (4/6)

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

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

Flat (difficulty: 1/5)
Flat

Easy-moderate (difficulty: 2/5)
Tussock / river-gravel / open bush / cut track

None (difficulty: 1/7)
No alpine skills required

Prolonged rivers (difficulty: 4/6)
Frequent river travel - impassible after rain, risk of getting trapped

None (difficulty: 1/7)
No alpine skills required

Thankfully, once in the Waihunga, things start to improve. The 1st 1.5km has a good broad valley floor with deer-trails through the bush. Then follows a tight gorged section, walking in the riverbed to the 1st major sidecreek, soon after which the valley widens again. Shingle flats appear, often covered by brittle, scratchy scrub of buddleia & other unidentified, but probably invasive species – not great, but walkable. Travel alternates between scrubby flats and shingle riverbed all the way to the Te Kahika confluence. Te Kahika Stream is smaller than the Waihunga and easily crossed in normal flows. 2 more crossing follow before the flats and the former Te Kahika hut site. 3hrs headwaters to hut site.

River channels cover the area where the hut once stood, but reasonable spots for camping can be found on the river banks. All look like they would flood in really heavy rain though.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

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