Distance: 5.1 km (4.0 DOC hours) - Tramping track - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 200m to 325m. Gain: 304m. Loss: 380m . Gradient: 8 deg (Moderate)
Skills: - Streams (2/6)

Tramping track (4/9)
Cut, marked tramping track: natural, rough ground surface

Primary, mapped (1/5)
Formal route, on maps, principal 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

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

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

The sidle track to Roebuck is a standard sidling tramping track - we are no longer on Te Araroa. The track is cut, but not benched and traverses steep faces as it heads upriver. Climbing and falling repeatedly it crosses two main side creeks and 3 more minor ones. Windfall was a minor issue when I visited - maybe half a dozen scrambles round large fallen trees.

Sidecreeks are not bridged and whilst small could become impassable after extreme rainfall.

Finally the track drops to the river upstream of Roebuck Hut, and crosses both branches on bridges before returning downriver to the hut.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

From Roebuck Hut, the track heads briefly upriver to the swingbridge, crossing the Pelorus, then returning downriver to cross Roebuck Creek on a second bridge. From here it becomes a standard sidle track: climbing and falling repeatedly to cross 2 major sidecreeks and minor ones as it heads downriver, The track crosses steep faces and is not benched, but only cut and marked. Windfall is a minor problem with several large fallen trees requiring scrambling round (2015).

Sidecreeks are not bridged and whilst small could become impassable after extreme rainfall.