Distance: 3.6 km (1.5 DOC hours) - Benched track - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 440m to 609m. Gain: 214m. Loss: 56m . Gradient: 4 deg (Gentle)
Skills: - Streams (2/6)

Benched track (3/9)
Benched, maintained, marked tramping track or pack-track

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

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

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

The track above Dry Creek is a broad tunnel through lush, dark moss-covered forest – a former pack track, cut blasted, benched into the hillside. A few climbs have been added round old slips-sites, but it’s still a fast, easy walk up the remaining 6km of valley to Julia Huts. Tumbledown Creek is bridged with a wire walkway.

The historic hut is the first you encounter – a historic but comfortable building tucked beside the track in tall, dark bush. New Julia lies barely 100m beyond in a large, light clearing.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

From Julia Huts, a good benched pack-track cuts over bush terraces before following the Taipo downriver. A few climbs have been added round old slips-sites, but it’s still a fast, easy walk downriver. Tumbledown Creek has a wire bridge.

After 4km the track emerges from the bush to cross the broad gravel fan of Dry Creek - a common but tough route into Hunts Creek.