Child friendly rating: 4 stars

Distance: 5km

Signposted time: 2hrs 30min

Bookings Required? Yes

Suitable for Winter? If experienced.

The track:

This walk is boardwalked around 95% of the way. Adults don't tend to like this, but toddlers are huge fans. In fact, my at the time 2 year old walked most of the way to the hut, and would have walked more had it not been nap time! It's also a great way to keep them on track for toddlers that don't like to follow the trail. Call them train tracks and make train noises, or other similar games, and they will just keep going!

Towards the end there are some tree roots, and the track does get exposed in sections. This means if it's windy it can get cold very fast once you're out of the bushline. The tree roots can still be a fun challenge for toddlers who aren't good at sticking on the normal track.

Do make sure you keep an eye on how the kids are handling the weather and wind exposure if conditions aren't ideal. With toddlers and pre-schoolers you'll need to be able to scoop them up to carry them to the hut quickly if conditions change. ie. if you've got 2 kids under 5 and only 1 adult you'll need to for emergency purposes have the capability to carry both if you need to get into the hut quickly.

The Hut:

Currently the old hut has been removed and is being rebuilt with a newer hut. Due to be opened winter 2025.

Past the hut towards the tarns is worth a visit on a clear day if you can see the maunga. However the weather is even more exposed past the hut, so if it's windy and rough, it won't be worthwhile and you'll get very cold very quickly.