Child friendly rating: 1 star

Distance: 10.9km from Holdsworth / 9.5km from Waiohine

Signposted time: 4hrs from Holdsworth / 4hrs 30 from Waiohine

Parking: Either at Holdsworth, or Waiohine Campgrounds

Bookings Required? Yes

Suitable for Winter? Yes

Camping Space? Plenty

4WD required? No

The Track:

This hut has two fairly equal, but both fairly challenging for kids routes to the hut. While it is still a child-friendly distance, I would not recommend it for a first tramp, however if your kids are very determined, keen, and strong, and likely at least 10 years old, it would be ok to do as a first hike.

Any child under 5 will likely need to be carried at least for sections of the walk. And be prepared for it to take all day with kids 5-10+.

Walk was done with a 2.5yo, 6.5yo, and a 9 week pregnant māmā in the middle of winter.

From Holdsworth Road: The track was in better condition as far as Gentle Annies Saddle The downhill section is VERY steep and full of tree roots - hard to walk with a 2yo in the carrier on the front! It wasn't too bad downhill, but if we had done the track in reverse, I would have probably died needing to climb so high uphill, especially carrying a child. You get the climb over and done with in one go. you climb as far as Gentle Annie, and then it's more or less downhill the rest of the way. Gentle Annie is just past halfway. TOTAL TIME IT TOOK US: 7hrs 45mins

From Waiohine Gorge:

Though the signs suggest this track is shorter, the GPS thought both tracks were about the same and that the distances on the tracks are quite inaccurate.

There are numerous slips and gorge sections to climb up and over. You never knew what the track is going to do next. If there are high river levels there is an extra gorge section to climb up and over too, as you have to bypass the section along the river if the flow is too high.

The track is also quite tree rooty, which meant my 2yo needed lots of help when walking, and it was tough to see underfoot while carrying him.

The last 2km to the hut are walking through grassy flats. Super nice and easy. This section shouldn't take more than 30-60 minutes.

TOTAL TIME IT TOOK US: 7hrs 20mins

Which way is easier?

Mentally, Waiohine Gorge was much harder personally. Never knowing if the track was going up or down was a struggle. Physically, both felt hard at the time, but I did prefer Waiohine Gorge - I am not the biggest fan of uphill walks, esp when carrying a 20kg pack + a heavy toddler + being pregnant - and Waiohine gave many more breaks of flat sections among the uphill sections.

Next time I would definitely choose Waiohine Gorge, however it depends on whether you feel the same about uphill sections!

If walking in one way & out the other, then in via Holdsworth out via Waiohine is definitely the easier way, and I would recommend this if it is an option.

The other thing to take into account is the swingbridge near Waiohine Gorge. This is a whopping 120m long, and my mum nerves were on edge. If you have a fear of heights, this may determine which route you can take.

The hut:

The hut itself is nice, spacious, and modern. Bookings are required so you'll know you have a bed ahead of time as it is a long way to return with kids in tow!

Recommendation: Visit with kids that are older and have already done a few of the easier tracks around. Set aside a full day for the walk in, so you don’t have to rush. If you can, walk in one way and out the other to keep the track more exciting.