Distance: 5.3 km (2.5 DOC hours) - Benched track - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 133m to 251m. Gain: 309m. Loss: 206m . Gradient: 6 deg (Gentle)
Skills: - Streams (2/6)

Benched track (3/9)
Benched, maintained, marked tramping track or pack-track

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

Streams (difficulty: 2/6)
Small streams, danger only in extreme weather

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

Head up the gravelled track from the carpark along the base of the grassy area to the start of the Waiotauru Track on the bushedge. This heads upriver alternating between an old roadbed and benched tramping track. A slip is passed after 1km which required a scramble to cross and is active - probably not good in heavy rain. After that it's easy going up river flats and terraces. A second slip 2km from the roadend has a brief scramble up a roughly cut track to go over the top of it.

Finally the track reaches the northern end of old logging tracks and shortly after crosses the river just above the Waiotauru Forks on a swingbridge, A steep climb follows to reach the northern end of the Oddlands Road - an old logging track still navigable to this point by 2 and 4-wheeled motorbikes / mountain bikes.

Several small streams are crossed, but none have given problems when I have visited in very heavy rain. The slip is probably the worst bit.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

From the end of Oddlands Road, above the Waiotauru / Snowy confluence, a marked tramping track drops steeply west to the river, which is crossed on a swingbridge. A benched track then follows the river downstream. Two slips are crossed - this first, 2km before the roadend has a rough track cut round it (above) and is ok in all conditions. The last, 1km before the roadend, has no way round and you must scramble across the steep face. This slip is a fun scramble in the dry, but is mobile after heavy rain and care should be taken.

Several small streams are crossed, but none have given problems when I have visited in very heavy rain. The slip is probably the worst bit.