Distance: 2.3 km (1.5 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, clear - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 851m to 858m. Gain: 7m. Loss: 0m . Gradient: 0 deg (Flat)
Skills: - Prolonged rivers (4/6)

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

Flat (difficulty: 1/5)
Flat

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

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

Prolonged rivers (difficulty: 4/6)
Frequent river travel - impassible after rain, risk of getting trapped

Unknown (difficulty: 0/7)
Not specified

Rankin Hut lies in the shelter of pines, directly across the valley, and is visible from the exit of the creek. Cross the Godley Valley flats – about an hours walk. The Godley river is smaller than the Clyde, Raikaia or Havelock, and was crossable even where in a single channel: moderately fast and waist deep after 3-4 days of intermittent rain in the headwaters. As with all the Canterbury rivers, suspended silt obscured the riverbed and made conditions ambiguous.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

From Rankin Hut, cross directly east to reach the visible entrance of the North Branch. The Godley river is smaller than the Clyde, Raikaia or Havelock, and was crossable even where in a single channel: moderately fast and waist deep after 3-4 days of intermittent rain in the headwaters. As with all the Canterbury rivers, suspended silt obscured the riverbed and made conditions ambiguous.