From the Lewis Pass trailhead, the walkway passes left of Alpine Tarn and into the bush. A steep zig zag descent leads to the swing bridge that crosses the Maruia River to the TR.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

Having crossed to the TL of Maruia River (right branch), the track climbs steeply, zig zagging to ease the gradient, to Alpine Tarn and the Lewis Pass trailhead.

Immediately after crossing to the TR, a steep zig zag climbs above the river. The walkway continues well above the river until entering the clearing that leads to Cannibal Gorge Hut.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

From the hut, the track heads downstream crossing the clearing and entering the bush and crossing a bridged side-stream.

Now the track enters Cannibal Gorge and, with some ups and downs, is usually well above the river.

A steep, zig zagging descent arrives at the swing bridge that crosses to the TL.

Part of the St James Walkway, this is a well defined track.

Leaving Cannibal Gorge Hut, the walkway heads gently upstream, never far from the river, to a fixed bridge that crosses to the TL. Ada Pass Hut is just a short distance along the track through open grassy flats.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

Part of the St James Walkway, this is a well defined track.

A short distance from Ada Pass hut along the track through the grassy flats is a fixed bridge that crosses to the TR of Maruia River (right branch).

Never far from the river, the walkway continues gently downstream to Cannibal Gorge Hut.

St James walkway - cut / marked tramping track

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

St James walkway - cut / marked tramping track

The poled St James walkway continues down the Ada from Christopher Cullers hut, cutting through small bands of beech forest and long clearings to reach the modern Christopher Hut after 1km.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

The poled St James walkway continues up the Ada from Christopher hut cutting through small bands of beech forest and long clearings to reach the historic Christopher Cullers Hut after 1km.

A poled tramping track follows a mixture of river flats and lower valley faces of the Ada, Waiau and Henry from the Christopher Hut into the lower Henry valley. A DOC signpost marks the point where the poled track meets an old 4WD farm track and joins the Ta Araroa trail 4km before Anne Hut.

1.5-2.5 hrs

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

A poled tramping track follows a mixture of river flats and lower valley faces of the Henry, Waiau and Ada from the junction in the lower Henry to Christopher Hut.

1.5-2.5 hrs

From signposted the Te Araroa / St James track junction in the lower Henry, both trails follow an old 4WD farm track west along terraces on the northern valleyside. After 2km the poled tramping track cuts south off the 4WD track to cross the Henry River on a swingbridge, before rejoining the old farm track 1km upstream on the southern bank. The new Anne Hut is 2km upriver from the swingbridge and is located on the track.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

An old 4WD farm track runs down terraces on the south bank of the Henry from Anne Hut. After 1km the 4WD track fords the river and a poled tramping track cuts off before the crossing leading a further 1km downriver to the swingbridge before the two track rejoin on terraces on the northern bank. After a further 2km of 4WD track a DOC signpost marks the point where the St James walkway and Te Araroa diverge with the St James cutting north off the 4WD track.

An old farm 4WD track runs up terraces on the southern bank of the Henry / Anne before dropping to the bridge over the Anne River at the former hut site.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

An old 4WD farm track climbs from the bridge over the Anne to terraces on the southern/eastern bank and follows them 1.5km to the new Anne Hut.

From the bridge over the Anne River at the former hut site, a cut / marked track runs up the western bank of the Anne River through clearings and beech forest. Emerging into open valley flats in the upper Anne, the track crosses back to the eastern bank via a bridge and follows that bank to the valley head, swinging west. A cut marked track climbs easily through beech forest over the low Anne Saddle before making a sidling descent to the Boyle valley floor. A poled route leads down open river flats in the Boyle. Rokeby Hut is reached after 4km of river flats. Rokeby Hut is on the bushedge east of the track just before the bridge over Boyle Stream and is signposted.

2.5-4 hrs

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

The St James walkway continues up river flats from Rokeby Hut until it reaches the main fork at he head of the valley. Shortly before the forks the cut/marked track enters the bush and begins a sidling climb to Anne Saddle. The climb is gentle-moderate on a broad track used by both trampers and horses.

After a brief descent through beech forest the track enters the clear flats of the Anne River and follows the southern/eastern bank downriver. A swingbridge takes the track to the western bank just as the bushy lower valley is reached. The former site of Anne River (cullers) hut is on flats 0.5km up from the Anne/Henry Forks, where a bridge crosses the Anne River back to the eastern bank.

2.5-4 hrs

The St James walkway continued down the east bank of the Boyle to Boyle Flat Hut from Rokeby Hut. Generally a poled track through clear river flats, but passing through occasional cut/marked bush / scrub bands.

Boyle Flat Hut is signposted off the track and is reached via a swingbridge over the Boyle.

0.75-1.5 hrs

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

The St James walkway continued up the east bank of the Boyle from Boyle Flat Hut to Rokeby Hut. Generally a poled track through clear river flats, but passing through occasional cut/marked bush / scrub bands.

Rokeby Hut is reached immediately after crossing the bridged Rokeby Stream. The hut is tucked against beech forest to the east of the track and is not easily visible, but is signposted.

0.75-1.5 hrs

From the east bank of the Boyle at the Boyle Flat swingbridge the poled track heads south along grassy river terraces before entering beech forest. In several places the horse route (yellow) and tramping track (orange) diverge and it is important to keep an eye out for the orange markers of the tramping track cutting off the more obvious horse trail if you want to avoid unnecessary river crossings.

The Magdalen swingbridge is reached after 3.5km. Magdalen Hut is a further 1km down the track along the eastern bank

1-1.5 hrs

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

The cut/marked tramping track crosses Maritana Stream beside Magdalen Hut and from there follows the Boyle River north, sticking in the beech forest on the east bank. In several places the horse route (yellow) and tramping track (orange) diverge and it is important to keep an eye out for the orange markers of the tramping track cutting off the more obvious horse trail if you want to avoid unnecessary river crossings.

After about 3km the track emerges from the bush into grassy clearings. The swingbridge crossing to Boyle Flay Hut is reached a few hundred meters later.

1-1.5hrs

The St James Walkway is a well maintained, well marked tramping track. Starting from the rear end of the campground at Boyle Village the track follows terraces on the true left (south) of the Boyle, sidling in manuka bush below the 4WD track until it reaches a swingbridge after 2km. Once across the Boyle a further 3km of track sidles low above the river in mature beech forest until the 1st of the clearings of the Magdalen Valley are reached. From here you can either continue along the bush-track to the Boyle swingbridge 1km north of Magdalen Hut, or drop to the riverbed and follow the 'horse route' to the hut.

Magdalen Hut is tucked in beech forest on the east bank of the Boyle. The easiest way to find it from the riverbed is to watch for Maritana Stream entering from the east, and follow the south bank of that to the hut.

2-4 hrs

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

If river are low then the Boyle can be crossed at Magdalen Hut and the riverbed followed downriver for 3.5km to the last of clearings where the poled track to Boyle Village can be picked up on the north bank. If rivers are high it is necessary to follow the marked track 1km north from Magdalen Hut to the swingbridge and follow the St James Walkway from there downriver to Boyle Village. The track is well cut and well marked. Occasional side streams must be forded but are unlikely to be impassable.

2-4 hrs