Kaweka Adventure: Kiwi Mouth & Studholme Circuit

Last updated 14 June 2026

Adventurers: Finn, Jen

Jen and I both rushed home from work on Friday afternoon to finish throwing everything (including the dog) into the van. We hit the road around 4:30pm, dropping Korra at the kennels on our way out of town. There was quite a bit of traffic, but we were mostly going the same way, so it wasn’t too bad. By the time we arrived at Makahu Campsite/Carpark (next to Makahu Hut), it was around 9:30pm, and we were quite tired! We set up the bed and hit the hay.

D1: To Kiwi Mouth Hut

I had reversed our walking order at the last minute, putting the 9hr day first, instead of last. We figured that this would remove the possibility of having to walk 9hrs and driving 5hrs on the same day. That would have been too much. Still, 9hrs of possible walking was still huge, and we needed all the daylight we could get.

The track climbs almost immediately out of the carpark, and there were a few options for which spur to take. We opted for Makahu Spur instead of Trials (immediately north). On reflection, this decision was made at random and Trials Spur might have been a nicer option! That said, they both merge before reaching Dominie Hut. 🤷

We stopped at Dominie Hut for a quick breather and to put our jackets on before heading on to tag Kaweka. It was pretty breezy already, an omen of things to come. We dropped off the tops via Back Ridge, and it was a short 1-hour descent to Back Ridge Hut. Back Ridge Hut is situated in a very cute valley next to a little creek and small stand of trees. We would have loved to have stayed longer and enjoy the surroundings, but we had to keep going.

After a short pinch to Sterns Saddle, the track undulates across and down to Back Ridge Biv and Kiwi Mouth Hut. The ridge can seem unending, but you will get a glimpse of the Kiwi Mouth Hut on Kiwi Creek in the distance. It looks like a long way down but arrives surprisingly quickly. By the time we were descending to the hut, our legs had done >1500m up and down, which is to say that our legs hurt!

Kiwi Mouth Hut is popular with packrafters according to the hut book, and there is certainly plenty of space for camping. The hut itself is plenty cute, but the open fireplace leaves something to be desired. There is not enough airflow without the door (or a window) open, and the fireplace therefore vents into the hut itself. By leaving a window open, the hut doesn’t warm up much. It’s a bit of a catch-22!

☕️ Porridge & coffee
🥜 Nut bar x2
🌮 Hummus & cheese wrap + coffee, lollie cake
🍴 Dal makhani on rice
🍫 Tea & ginger nuts, hot chocolate & chocolate

D2: To Studholme Saddle Hut

We slept in a little this morning, knowing that at maximum we should have 6.5 hours of walking to do, and could therefore afford to have a slow start to the day. I had expected a very cold morning, given the cold night in the van, but it turned out not so bad.

The track starts by backtracking a couple of minutes before crossing Kiwi Creek and heading upstream on the true right. It doesn’t stay that way for long, though. The track weaves across the river numerous times, jumping across just in front of river bluffs, to reach a small section of track, or to cut off a corner. We found the travel straightforward, and it hadn’t rained recently, so the river was quite low. That said, if it was raining, or had rained recently, it would quickly become impassable. As it was, there were a couple of crossings where we were both thigh-deep.

As we reached the turn-off to climb toward Kiwi Saddle, we bumped into three packrafters who were heading down to paddle out the Ngaruroro River. It looks like it would be a great trip! I would be really interested in putting in much further up and spending a good few days adventuring through the depths of the forest park. Another time, perhaps. In warmer weather, for sure.

The climb from the river to the track that comes from over Point 1238 is really rather steep, but it only took about 30 minutes. From the junction, it was only a short 30 minutes more to Kiwi Saddle Hut. At the hut we found a couple of guys from the Waikato Tramping Club who were doing a trip in the area. They ended up spending a couple of nights at that hut, and we were glad that we managed to dodge their party of 12 (we didn’t pack a tent on this trip). After a nice little chat, some lunch, and some coffee, we trundled off as we still had quite a few kms to cover.

The track between Kiwi Saddle Hut and Studholme Saddle Hut is quite straightforward, but some sections have a lot of overgrown knee-high scrub. As such, we were both glad we had our gaiters on; otherwise we would have been a bit torn up. The wind was beginning to really pick up by now, and we were glad for the respite the forest gave us. Once we passed Castle Camp — which, by the way, is a complete vibe (see photo below), it was up and out onto the bare tops and the gale wind. Jen is not a big fan of strong winds like this, and we both almost fell over a couple of times. I don’t think we’ve ever been out in anything like it!

The final descent to Studholme Saddle Hut is quite steep, and you have to make sure to go left as you approach the hut. Descend too far, and you will get bluffed out above the little creek. I initially made that mistake and had to go back up some loose scree. Fun times! Once we reached the hut, I cut some big firewood, Jen got the fire going, and we settled down for an evening of being cosy in the hut. *chefs kiss*

☕️ Porridge & coffee
🥜 Nut bar x2
🌮 Hummus & cheese wrap + coffee
🍴 Ramen noodles and baked beans on mash potato
🍫 Chocolate!

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D3: Out via Mackintosh Hut

The morning came, and the wind was still up, so we headed off all rugged up, ready to face the gale as we crossed over to the Mackintosh Spur Track. Thankfully, it was a quick ascent and a relatively short hop over to the junction (~30min). From there we were mostly sheltered by wilding pines as we descended for over an hour to Mackintosh Hut. The hut itself is very tidy and well-appointed, but unfortunately the group who stayed the night before had not managed to find the toilet and had instead left 💩 and 🧻 all along a track. Ironically, if they had gone a little farther down that track, they would have found the toilet. I wish I had taken a photo of the hut book so I could name-and-shame. Just disgraceful.

From Mackintosh Hut, the track is easy-going and a little boggy in parts until it reaches the gorge dug out by the Donald River. And what a gorge it is! The track is steep and not always very stable on the Mackintosh side, but it is well-marked. Once you cross the river, the track is firmer (for the most part) on the Matauria Ridge side. That’s where the positives end, though! It is unrelentingly steep, and by this point of our weekend, our legs were not feeling very strong. Still, we persevered, only stopping near the top for lunch in case it was windy again and we wouldn’t want to stop. Fortunately, this was not the case, and we were well protected by the forest for the remainder of the trip.

The walking is through fairly uninteresting pine forest for much of the ridge, although there were many Flipping Timmy possum traps to keep an eye on. A few even needed resetting, which we did after kicking the dead possums into the forest. If we had gloves, I’d have considered picking them up and putting them farther away, but without gloves, absolutely not.

Good work, trappers. That line is very successful!

☕️ Porridge & coffee
🥜 Nut bar
🌮 Hummus & cheese wrap + coffee