D12- Pakihi hut to Te Waiti hut

The newly graded cycle track continues north along the Pakihi stream. There's no sighn however indicating the existence of the track into the Wahaatua catchment, and according to the book its only been traveled once in the past 2 years. I head down to the stream to look for it.
Heading upstream, an oranges triangle points up the obvious spur after the first side creek on the true left. There's a reasonably followable track with orange markers, tho it hasn't been cut in a few years. Its a steep climb to the ridgeline, where the track deteriorates. There's a lot of windfall, waist high furns, and its easy to loose the track in places. By the look of it its off doc's maintenance list, and is reminiscent of the Rakumaras. There's about 6 summits along the ridge, the highest being 605m.
Coming down the far side the track improves, dropping down a steep, well defined spur to the Wahaata stream. I was originally intending on a long day to Tokenui, but this sections taken twice as long as expected, so it'll have to be two short days. There's a good spot for a swim in the Wahaata, and on the hottest day yet the water's cool and wonderful.
It looks like an easy walk down the riverbed from here, however im wrong, its much easier. There's another 6 foot pack track cut into a steep bank on the true left. This one hasn't been maintained like the cycleway, theres sections of windfall and slips to get past, but its still an easy walk, keeping a consistent gradient all the way to the confluence with the Tokenui.
From the forks the stream becomes the Te Waiti, there's a couple of crossings untill a pack track appears on the right, climbing slightly to the hut. Its still early, but it seems my progress is being determined by the position of huts and possible campspots more than anything.
The huts not the flashest. Its constructed of 3 prefabricated rooms joined together with a large sheltered deck to the front. There's a bunkroom on either side and a kitchen in the middle, a woodburner but no firewood. The surrounding area is regenerating farmland, punga and blackberry. Its easy access on horseback and foot, so gets a lot of visitors, mainly hunters.