Child friendly rating: 5 stars

Distance: 6.3km

Signposted Time: 3 hours

Bookings Required? Yes

Suitable in Winter? Yes

Camping Available? Yes - separate bookable camping spots

4wd Required? No

Parking: Park at the end of Kauaeranga Valley Road.

The track: The track up to this hut is an old packhorse track. It has some older steps and goes uphill almost the whole way.

While it may seem more technical, this actually makes it a more suitable track for kids. It's definitely not 'boring'. The nearby Waitawheta Track is a similar signposted time, but most kids will find this track more fun than that one, as there are more features along the way. The bridges and steps will keep kids a lot more happy to walk.

3 year olds are about the youngest that would be able to walk the whole way. 2yo will struggle with some of the larger steps, but a determined 3yo can make it to the hut. For a 4yo+ it'll be easily possible to walk the whole way. Babywearing front or back is fine on this track as it's a pretty well established track.

Hydrocamp is a good spot to have a lunchbreak as it is around halfway.

The Hut: The hut is the largest in the country. Being in a busy location, there is a hut warden there year round. One thing to be aware of, especially if staying for more than one night is that the hut is locked during the day so that day-trippers don't use up all the gas in the hut. This means if you arrive early at the hut, you may need to wait outside for the lounge and bunkrooms to open.

From the hut: The side trip up to the Pinnacles is very exciting for kids with ladders to climb up along the way.

Recommendations: This isn't the easiest hut trip, but still makes a good first hut to visit. An older 3 year old is probably the youngest that could walk the whole way, but would recommend having an option to carry them. Most 5 year olds should be fine to walk the whole way themselves without any trouble. Do make the trip up to the pinnacles viewpoint. The ladders are a great fun adventure for kids.