Distance: 1.5 km (0.7 DOC hours) - Marked route - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 196m to 453m. Gain: 267m. Loss: 22m . Gradient: 12 deg (Moderate)
Skills:

Marked route (6/9)
Uncut route, with markers normally within sight

Secondary, unmapped (4/5)
Route not on maps, an alternative recognised access to hut or along range / catchment

Moderate (difficulty: 3/5)
Occasional moderate climbs

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

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

None (difficulty: 1/6)
No unbridged river crossings

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

A well used, well marked uncut route continues up the spur where the Waiotauru Track cuts off it to sidle upriver. The start is not marked, but get onto the crest of the spur and you'll pick it up.

The route climbs steadily up the well defined spur. The route is well marked with tape, but not cut. On reaching the summit of the range, the route continues south along the crest, eventually hitting the end of an old logging track around the 2nd unnumbered highpoint shown on the map.

At the head of the 3rd creek downstream from Waiorauru Forks, another logging track cuts east off the range, and the main track continues. 150m later a second junction is reached (around the 440m contour) with a track heading west towards the major forks west of the Island Range. This leads to Kapakapanui highpoint. The main track continues south towards Waiotauru Hut - both are marked with tape from the junction (2015).

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

From the Kapakapanui turnoff, the logging track continues a further 400m along Island Range before ending A well marked, well used route continues NNE along the range before dropping down the spur shown on the map. 60m above the river this route hits the Waiotauru Tarck at an unmarked junction.