I left my car at the Mahaki tunnel (didn't see it) carpark on a fine winter morning to do a recce for a possible day walk with grandkids.

I used the info brochure that I obtained from the info centre in Gisborne. The first section thru farm cattle track was straightforward as was the ford thru the Waikohu stream - ankle deep. The second section was particularly muddy especially where the track goes thru shaded cuttings so good boots are necessary. There are still signs of the redundant rail line and views of the stream below. From when one has to climb the first stile it gets tricky with fallen trees and washout having to be negotiated. The track (or should I say route) is very overgrown and as the DOC sign states has minimal maintenance, so take this final section carefully as the yellow markers are obscured if not missing. The walkway took 2 hours easily and I hitchhiked back to my car ...no problems. I wouldn't recommend the walk, especially not for a family until some urgent overdue maintenance is carried out

Reviewed over 3 years ago