Distance: 0.8 km (0.7 DOC hours) - Tramping track - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 138m to 160m. Gain: 15m. Loss: 24m . Gradient: 3 deg (Flat)
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

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

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

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

From the track junction, the track heads downstream, crossing the side-creek. 3 crossings of the main Ngatiawa River follow - the last being the deepest, generally thigh deep. These crossing become impassable after heavy rain and getting stuck on the Kapakapanui side can happen. The only wet-weather routes out are to Otaki Forks, or down the private track shown on maps from pt755 to Mangone Sth roadend.

Reaching the bushedge, the track crosses a couple of paddocks and follows a private driveway to the roadend.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

From the carpark, follow DOC signs 100m down the left-hand private driveway to a stile, and then follow poles over 2 paddocks to the river. The river must be crossed, and can become impassable after rain. It is thigh deep in normal conditions.

A good track heads up the opposite bank, crossing three more times before it reaches the forks. A signpost at the forks and a memorial stone mark the junction of the two halves of the Kapakapanui loop track, and an unmarked but obvious track heading up the southern fork of the river.