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Key facts
- Distance
- 13 km return via same track
- Walking time
- 5.5 hr return
- Track grade
- Advanced
- Location
- Tararua Forest Park
- Dog access
- Dogs allowed. Keep dog under control at all times. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Checked against official sources on 8 October 2026. Rules and conditions are set by Department of Conservation — confirm with them before you go.
Route overview
This is a daytrip in the southern Tararua Range and the exit/entry to the Kaitoke-Holdsworth Tramp.
This DOC directory entry covers Smith Creek - Tauwharenīkau River in Wellington, within Tararua Forest Park. Where DOC groups several walks, times and grades refer to the listed options rather than a single continuous itinerary.
Distance, time and grade
- Distance: 13 km return via same track
- Walking time: 5.5 hr return
- DOC grade: Advanced
Access and alerts
Source checked 2026-10-08. This page is a dated snapshot, not a live track-status report. Check current DOC route information immediately before travelling. An absence of listed alerts does not establish that a route is open.
- Predator control for Southern Tararuas; First published on 3 March 2026. Last reviewed on 21 May 2026.
Dog access
Dogs allowed. Keep dog under control at all times. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Description
This 4 hr return day trip in the southern Tararua Range takes you over the Puffer Saddle and down Smith Creek with its fine stands of red/hard beech forest, to its confluence with the Tauwharenīkau River at the Smith Creek Shelter.
You can also walk further up the Tauwharenīkau Valley to Marchant Creek for views of the river and the young podocarp forest regenerating in the manuka on the flats.
There are unbridged side streams on this track. These may not be safe to cross during or after rain.
There are severe slips on Smith Creek Track up to Smith Creek Shelter. Extreme caution is required. Traversing the slips may add up to 1.5 hr to the completion time of the return trip.
Getting there
Turn off State Highway 2 onto Marchant Road at the YMCA Camp Kaitoke turnoff. Near the end of Marchant Road, turn right into Kiwi Ranch Road. The carpark is located on the left, approximately 500m along Kiwi Ranch Road.
Know before you go
Stay safe when crossing rivers and streams
If you plan to cross unbridged rivers or side streams, know how to cross safely and be prepared for if you cannot cross.
Do not cross if the river or stream is flooded, you cannot find safe entry and exit points or are unsure it’s safe. Turn back or wait for the river to drop. If in doubt, stay out.
How to cross rivers safely
NIWA river flow forecasts: View a video of national followed by regional river flows
Sources and reuse
Route descriptions and practical information reproduced from the Department of Conservation, Crown copyright, under CC BY 4.0, subject to DOC's copyright policy. Formatting has been adapted, including flattening page sections; follow the original DOC page for maps, section-specific layout, current notices and linked documents. Outdoor Next is independent and is not endorsed by DOC.
The accompanying photograph is a licensed general hiking illustration, not a photograph of this route.
