The golden Waikakaho trail

After leaving your car, proceed across the bridge and pass through the clearly marked first gate. Proceed through a second gate approximately 500m later and then follow the unsealed road for a further 2km.

You will come to two stream crossings. These are low flow in summer and easily crossable without getting your feet wet. Follow the marked trail up to a pedestrian gate. This is where the grunt begins.

The path is clear and easy to follow. Starting off the gradient is quite demanding (hence the recommended run-in) but the condition underfoot is smooth and wide and shaded by manuka trees. After a kilometer or so the track becomes rockier and moves further into tree ferns and native beech forests.

The track begins to have some more easily runnable switchbacks. The rocky outcrops, old mining scars, and native bush make this a truly magical run. All the way up you are rewarded with vistas out towards the Wairau Plains, Wither Hills, and Kaikoura ranges.

About a third of the way up you pass a sign indicating 'Tower site remains' towards the left, continuing on up the hill. After another kilometre or so you reach a sign indicating Loading Site and Village Clearing, take the right turn towards the Village Clearing.

At the Village Clearing proceed on to the track off to the left and continue up the hill, past the mine turn off, for just under a kilometre to the Cullensville/Waikakaho Sign.

Now turn right and continue up through the bush to the Lookout (basically a rocky outcrop).

Now go back the way you came and enjoy the fun of a marvelous, runnable, technical but reasonably easy descent. The top half of the descent is reasonably rocky and some care needs to be taken on the looser stones.