Distance: 2.2 km (1.5 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, clear - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 694m to 884m. Gain: 65m. Loss: 191m . Gradient: 7 deg (Gentle)
Skills:

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

Secondary, unmapped (4/5)
Route not on maps, an alternative recognised 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

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

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

A sparsely marked route runs north through bush from pt890 to join the Pukeatua Track. This route crosses private land but is well used.

From Kapakapanui, head up the track to the first knob above the hut, pt890. Large DOC triangles here mark the start of a route heading NNE along a broad ridge. A good ground trail exists, and after a while you'll start to see markers. Dropping out of cloud forest into tall beech, the route is fairly obvious, though take care after 400m to swing north rather than drop NE into the creekhead. The ruins of Hendersons Hut are passed after 1km - a few bits of iron and a small clearing.

Eventually the ridge narrows and the now-marked route swings NE to join the Puekatua track 300m west of pt762.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

The start of this link route is on the corner where the Pukeatua tracks swings from south to east (if you're heading towards Otaki Forks). 300m west of pt762 it is marked only by a large DOC triangle. Intermittent tape also marks the route.

Follow the ridgeline SW then south from the junction. A good ground trail exists and the roidge is obvious. After a kilometer or so the ridge starts to climb, passing a small clearing where a bit of iron is all that remains of Hendersons Hut. Climbing into boggy cloud forest the ridge swings SSW, and hits the main Kapakapanui track at pt890. Kapakapanui Hut is 200m right down the track.