Child friendly rating: 3 stars

Distance: 7km

Signposted time: 3 hours

Bookings Required? No

Suitable in Winter? Yes

Camping Available? Limited space

4wd required? No

Parking:

 Go through into Benmore Station, and park at the marked carparking area. When we came back to our car they had shifted cows through the carpark, so our car had been smooshed by dirty cows so don't leave a clean car you're precious about at the carpark.

There is a 4wd carpark further along, which cuts off about 1 hour of walking, but the road has been eroded by the river and isn't really passable by a regular 4wd.

The Track:

 The first section follows the eroded 4wd track to the 4wd carpark for the first hour. This is exposed to the sun, but easy to follow. This is the first 3km, and with a 4 year old walking it took us only just over an hour.

After this you follow the river for a short while before entering Thirteen Mile Bush. There is a side creek to cross along the way - you should be able to keep feet dry but will need to help kids over to keep their feet dry.

Once you enter the bushline, and the track while generally marked is a little hard to follow at points due to wash outs. There is a whole section where you pass through bush which is filled with creek rocks.

There are several more creek crossings which can flood after heavy rain. Under normal flows you'll generally be able to keep dry feet or at least one dry foot. Kids will need carrying over if they're to keep dry feet.

There are a couple sections with ropes to pull yourself up on steeper sections. It is actually a really great really fun track for kids. There is tree fall to climb over too. The track is definitely not boring, and is a really good length for kids.

The main things that bring down the child-friendliness of this track are: The track isn't as well marked in sections so adults need to be capable. Plus the 4wd road to walk at the start before entering the bushline can be long and boring.

Our 4 year old managed the walk fine, though we were slowed down helping her over fallen trees and having her pull herself up the ropes.

Hut:

 The hut says online that it's got 4 beds, but it's actually only 3 (One is slightly wider than standard but definitely only a single) It's an older hut, and while it's got a good woodburner, in September we were freezing overnight and me and the baby slept inside a bivvy bag inside the hut to stay warm. It did snow overnight though!

It's located in a small clearing with good bush nearby to play in.

Recommendations:

 If you've already done a couple of hikes, and are looking for a fun challenge, this would be a great next step if you're confident in your route finding abilities. It's definitely better marked that the nearby John Hayward/Kowai Hut, but is still not as obvious as some nearby huts. It could definitely be a good first trip even for older toddlers as long as parents are capable and confident.