Child friendly rating: 5 stars

Distance: 6km

Signposted time: 1.5 hours

Bookings Required? Not for the hut but you book campsite.

Suitable in Winter? Yes

Camping Available? Yes - bookable campsite

4wd required? No

Parking:

Park at the Upper Mangatāwhiri Campground carpark on Moumoukai Road.

The Track:

After you cross the dam, the track does head uphill with almost 300m of elevation gain. But the whole way you are walking on a 4WD road, so the walk is not technical in any way, and is in fact very wide - enough to hold a childs hand on either side.

It can be a long and boring walk however - so older kids capable of biking uphill for longer distances may prefer to mountain bike.

Hut:

The hut is located at the Piggott's Campsite. You need to book a spot at the campsite, but the hut itself is first-in first-served. Bring a tent as a back-up if someone else has already taken the hut, or arrive early.

It has 4 beds- individual bunks.

Recommendations:

A great close to Auckland adventure. It's not long but kids may find the road walking boring so make sure you've got lots of games to play on the way especially on the uphill.

It can be a good first hut for all ages with the non-technical access.