Tutu Stream (Hard 2-3 days)

A vehicle track off of SH7 that is just west of Cow Stream is drivable in an ordinary car down to a safe car-park close to willows. This track is kept open by anglers. There is currently a reasonable ford across the Waiau River about 500m upstream of the Tutu confluence. It is waist deep with the river flowing at  40 cumecs measured at the Marble Point river gauge that can be viewed here.

The quickest route to Tutu Hut is to follow the old bulldozer line, but it is heavily overgrown in places with broom. It is gained by bashing through scrub up onto the obvious terrace. If planning to return via this terrace, then take note of where the Waiau River has created cliff-edges. The track does not end at Tutu Hut, but rather heads up the side-creek 500m down-valley of the hut. Follow animal tracks as best as possible through partially open scrub to the hut. (Standard 4-bunks.)

Tutu Stream itself provides a challenging route suitable if the weather is warm. There is a lot of scrambling and wading, with a few deeper pools requiring short bush-bashes.

For a return route from the hut, it would be reasonbly straightforward to ascend up to the crest of the Hanmer Range and follow it out to Handyside. There is then a choice of scrubby ribs that lead down to the old bulldozed track. Pigs have made many tracks through the manuka scrub on these ribs.

Parties with more time can continue from Tutu Hut to the head of Tutu Stream. From the hut, animal trails sidle back to the main valley, and pleasant flats followed by easy stream travel lead up to where the beech forest closes in. It is not possible to follow the stream all the way to the head, with there being an impassable waterfall at the bottom of the 984 spur. Instead climb out on to the eastern ridge and traverse to point 1588. The ridge then becomes razorback and eroded. Follow the rib down from point 1588, by-passing bluffs to reach the valley floor just above the bushline. The obvious clearing 300m down-valley of the bushline has a sheltered campsite for three tents.

From the clearing a steep rib can be followed up to point 1608. There are then a few easily traversible knarly sections, and  a long walk back along the Hanmer Range to Handyslide, from where the route has been described above.

Information is based on a trip done Show Weekend 2005 by Wayne Beggs, Barbara Brown, David Glenny, Geoff Spearpoint and the author.