Distance: 1.1 km (0.7 DOC hours) - Tramping track - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 706m to 935m. Gain: 15m. Loss: 229m . Gradient: 13 deg (Moderate)
Skills: - Occasional rivers (3/6)

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

Occasional rivers (difficulty: 3/6)
Occasional rivers - impassible after heavy rain

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

From the signposted track junction on the Sunrise track, a good cut, marked tramping track drops south off the ridge and sidles gradually down the face west. This cuts into a sidecreek and then continues to sidle through good mature bush down to the Waipawa Valley floor.

Waipawa Forks Hut is on a terrace 40m above the river on the south bank. The river is ankle-to-knee deep in normal flows, but can flood after rain. A track to the hut starts 100m upriver (**my notes say downriver, but the map shows upriver - please check and correct this routeguide). The track is marked with DOC triangles.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

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