Waharau Ridge Gutbuster

From the sealed carpark at the Information Building head left around the back of the building and look for the purple track marker. Follow the purple track through the Puriri Grove and around the edge of the park toward the camping area.

Head toward the top of the picnic area where there are toilets and water. Stop at the footwash station and give your shoes a good scrub and disinfect. Once through the footwash station head up the 4 wheel drive track following the red marker poles. There are a couple of other tracks still closed (upper and lower link tracks) so be aware for barriers and signage.

Follow the track onwards and upwards. There's a small ford to cross around 3km in, hop the stepping stones or embrace the cooling from wet shoes, it's pretty benign in good weather, caution is required if it's been very wet.

Keeping going up, it's steep in places but the views are worth it. Somewhere about the 6km mark, you are near the ridge, there's a great viewpoint up here, definitely worth a stop.

Carrying on the ridge track which undulates for a few km, you'll come to what was a track junction - there is now only one option, to head down. Enjoy the downhill, the steps and a couple of viewing spots along the way.

Towards the bottom of the hill you'll come across a closed gate, follow the track round to the left even though you can see a track marker past the locked gate. The track has been rerouted due to Kauri Dieback upgrade work.

Head downhill, stay on the track that will turn into green track markers, hang a right just after the wooden footbridge back towards the carpark. The trail here is very pretty running through the established bush.

Once you exit through the footwash station, turn left and head uphill. The carpark is only about 200m away!