Tiraumea Track

Tiraumea Track is a remote point-to-point tramp from the Tutaki Valley road end to D’Urville Hut, about 14 miles (23 km) one way. It follows the Tiraumea River upstream to Tiraumea Hut, climbs over Tiraumea Saddle, then drops toward the D’Urville River and hut. It’s a serious full-day undertaking for experienced trampers who are comfortable with repeated river crossings and route-finding. Allow around eight to nine hours if you walk it straight through; Tiraumea Hut, about 9 miles from the Tutaki end, is a practical overnight stop. Plan your exit from D’Urville Hut before you start.

The first access is a signed farm track from Tutaki Valley road end, then paddocks and stiles before the bush. Confirm the current entry instructions with DOC before setting out, since this approach crosses farmland. After a short marked bush section, the route follows the river upstream. Expect grassy flats, boggy cutty grass, scratchy scrub, and mossy, rooty beech forest rather than one continuous, easy-to-follow tread. Markers can be intermittent, especially through the middle third; a topo map helps you keep your bearings, but it may not show the exact footpath.

River fords shape the day. One low-flow trip counted about 43 crossings on the return and described water from shin to thigh depth for that hiker. Treat that as one trip’s conditions, not a fixed count or depth. The river has deep pools, and safe crossing points change with flow. Follow DOC’s river-safety advice: wait or turn back if a crossing isn’t safe.

Tiraumea Hut is a six-bunk standard hut in a clearing; the through-route continues from there over Tiraumea Saddle and down toward D’Urville Hut. DOC’s listed walking time from hut to hut is about 2½ hours. Don’t confuse this continuation with the separate Mole Saddle branch from Tiraumea Hut. Dog access for the whole route wasn’t confirmed, so check with DOC before bringing one.