Aickens to Locke Stream Hut (via Kiwi Hut) (6 hours one way)

Note: This route has multiple river crossings on the western side of Harper Pass! If there is heavy rainfall or rivers are high postpone your trip. The "flood track" shown on some maps from the Morrison footbridge (Deception River) to Aickens is not viable when the rivers are running high, as it also can be cut-off. The terms "true-left & right" are used in this description, they refer to side of valley always looking downstream or down hill.

If the Otira River is safe to cross, start from the Aickens car park, cross the stile and follow the fence line to the river. After crossing the Otira, make for the end of the band of tall trees immediately opposite (marked by an orange triangle).

A track leads through scrub and gorse to grassy flats. Continue walking along these grassy flats past Pfeifer Creek and the signposted turn-off to Lake Kaurapataka. Stay on the true-left bank and cross Otehake River and then, further upstream, cross the Taramakau to its true-right at the safest place to cross. Continue along the true-right for about a kilometre above the Otehake where a sign will indicate the short side-track to Kiwi Hut (8 bunks).

Upstream from Kiwi Hut remain on the true right. Towards the Locke Creek confluence with the Taramakau the riverbed begins to narrow and eroded banks on the true-right become steeper. Cross to the true-left just downstream of the Taramakau/Locke Creek junction and continue on over Locke Creek where you will locate a short track leading through the forest to Locke Stream Hut (18 bunks) (beware the stinging nettle).



Locke Stream Hut to Hurunui No 3 Hut (6-7 hours one way)
Above Locke Stream Hut the track travels along the true-left, at times in the forest and at times along the riverbed. Beware there is a active slip about 45 minutes upstream of the hut on the true-left. You may need to cross the river to get around it. The swing bridge is a further 15 minutes on. Cross the bridge to the true-right of the river, where again the track travels through forest and riverbed.

Eventually the track leaves the river and begins to climb towards the pass. The track is steep and rough in places. As forest gives way to alpine scrub and tussock, the gradient eases. A sign marking the summit of the pass is reached in 3 hours.

The track drops fairly quickly on the eastern side of the pass into the headwaters of Hurunui River. After 30 minutes you will reach the Harper Pass Bivvy (2 bunks), which is attractively sited in a grove of ribbonwood/mānatu above the stream on the true-right.

Below Harper Pass Bivvy walking becomes a lot easier as the track drops down through beech/tawhai forest. As the valley opens, the track emerges onto river flats, with Camerons Hut standing out from the edge of the forest. (From Harper Pass Bivvy to Camerons Hut is 2 hours.) Camerons Hut no longer has bunks. Cameron Stream has an emergency walk-wire 100 metres up from the Hurunui riverbed. From here the track returns to the forest and keeps just within the fringes until it emerges again on river flats at Hurunui No 3 Hut (16 bunks).

Hurunui No 3 Hut to Hurunui Hut (4 hours one way)
Below Hurunui No 3 Hut, the track follows easy grassy flats across the valley floor. The track keeps to the true-right, at times on the flats or in the forest. The forest sections sidle up and down the hillside to bypass places where the river cuts in against the bank.

The highlight of this part of the journey is the hot spring about 2 hours walk from Hurunui No 3 Hut. This spring flows from the rock about 30 metres above the bed of the Hurunui River and sends sulphurous waters down an open scar in the forest. The track crosses the scar below the spring. A small pool has been formed at the spring. Keep an eye out for the turn-off as it is easy to miss.

From the hot springs, the track returns to river flats, then sidles up through mānuka forest to Hurunui Hut (15 bunks), sited well up the hillside.

Hurunui Hut to Hope Kiwi Lodge (6 hours one way)
From Hurunui Hut the track descends to the swing bridge across Hurunui River.

Cross the bridge and take the 4WD track to the forest edge on the far side of the matagouri flats. Continue along the forest edge to where the track heads into forest at the headwaters of Lake Sumner. After a short return to grassy flats, the track enters the forest again and begins to climb easily to Three Mile Stream. After crossing Three Mile Stream, the track climbs steadily to Kiwi Saddle through forest dominated by tall red beech/tawhairaunui. Just before the summit there is a short 2-minute side track to a lookout across the lake, well worth a photo stop.

From the saddle descend to the swampy grasslands of Kiwi valley. Follow the track on your left to avoid the bogs and then pick up a 4WD track on the true-right of Kiwi River across the open grasslands to Hope Kiwi Lodge (20 bunks).

Hope Kiwi Lodge to Lewis Pass Highway (5-6 hours one way)
Follow the poled route from Hope Kiwi Lodge along the forest edge to the Hope River swing bridge, about 30 minutes from the hut. For 1 hour or so below the swing bridge, the track wanders down the broad grassy flats until eroded riverbanks mean a return to the forest. The third time the track leaves the river it climbs the bank to Hope Halfway Hut (note the fireplace has been removed).

After Hope Halfway Hut the track keeps to the beech forest for 2–3 hours on terraces high above the riverbed. At the forest edge, a vehicle track descends down through mānuka and tussock to the swing bridge over the Boyle River gorge. Amuri Area School Outdoor Education Centre is located here and the shelter and car park is 5 minutes down the shingle road at Windy Point, just off Lewis Pass Highway.

Side Trip: Lake Kaurapataka (6–7 hours or 1–2 days return)
Start as for the Harper Pass Route and follow the Taramakau Track from the Otira River as far as the signposted turn-off at Pfeifer Creek. Follow the streambed of Pfeifer Creek for about 100 metres to the start of the track on the true-right. The track passes through attractive tawhairaunui / red beech forest to the confluence of Pfeifer Creek and the stream draining Lake Kaurapataka. It crosses the stream and continues up the true-left to the lake. The return trip from Aickens to the lake via this route can be done in a day. There are several good campsites along the lake edge. Cairns mark where to leave the track to the campsites.

To do a 1–2 hour loop walk, continue on the track to the Otehake River around to the head of the lake, up a short climb to the saddle between the lake and the river. From here the track drops steeply into the Otehake and another good campsite. The route down the Otehake is mostly on the true-right, boulder hopping beside the river, crossing where necessary. This is not possible in rain or if rivers are high. Cross the Otehake again just above where it joins the Taramakau and then walk down the river flats back to Otira River. The loop walk can be undertaken in a long day or as an overnight stay.