Access - A number of conditions apply to enable walking access to co-exist with farm and forestry operations. These conditions including an annual track closure for lambing from 9 September to 9 November inclusive. The remaining conditions are set out below and compliance is important, both out of respect for the land owners and to help ensure Te Araroa continues to be able to use this critical link:

 In order to comply with the daylight hours condition trampers should start out early in the morning and make steady progress towards their final destination.

 

If you encounter farm staff moving stock en route please step well aside and wait quietly until all animals have passed by. Take direction from farm staff as necessary.

The track starts on the south side of Struan Flat Rd, just before the Morley Stream bridge, about 150 metres beyond the Ohai Clifden Highway junction. Climb the fence at the stile onto Birchwood Station. Initial conditions may be rough underfoot but they soon improve. Follow markers along the Morley Stream margin towards the Orauea Stream confluence.

 

The track rises to the road at the Ohai Clifden Highway. Turn right here and cross the bridge. The track then leaves the road soon after on the left and follows Orauea Stream up its true left bank. Cross the fenced farm access way at the stiles and continue on up true left bank to a marked crossing. Ford the stream here and continue up the true right bank to a second crossing. (It's necessary to ford the stream in this way to avoid entering a neighbouring private property).

 

Once back on the true left side follow markers up the fence line towards Birchwood Wairio Rd. Turn right onto the road and walk about 300m to the edge of the eucalyptus forest fringe. The track leaves the road on the left here and travels up the forest fringe beside a fenceline.

 

Beyond the eucalyptus section the track crosses a stock lane and continues up a fenceline to the base of the Twinlaw Range. The track line turns left here and sidles east to join with a grassed farm track. This track climbs steeply up the hill face to the right. As the track nears the main ridge it veers south and becomes less distinct on the ground. Marker poles continue to show the way.

 

Once on the main ridge travel is along the ridgeline to the left (southeast). This is on a light but distinct farm track that leads up to the Birchwood Station/Twinlaw Forest boundary gate. Beyond the gate Te Araroa enters exotic forest on a 4WD track then traverses the Twinlaw tops on privately owned forest roads, which make for pleasant and easy walking. You’re unlikely to encounter vehicles, unless there is some forestry operation underway.

 

There are a number of forestry road junctions but marker poles are in place to show the way through. For the sake of completeness, turn left onto Trig Rd then right onto Twinlaw Rd. Keep left at the Feldwick Rd junction and continue along Twinlaw Rd. This is towards and through the junction with Chandler Rd. Te Araroa leaves Twinlaw Rd on a 4WD track on the right hand side of the road. There is a turning bay at the end of this track, right on the Twinlaw/Woodlaw Forest boundary.

 

Te Araroa enters the beech forest from the turning bay. This is on a tramping track, within the Woodlaw Forest Conservation Area. The track traverses uneven ground towards Woodlaw Peak then descends towards a narrow strip of exotic forest. Here it joins with a 4WD track that leads to a junction. Turn right at this junction onto the forestry road and soon the road emerges from the forest. It then continues down a long fenced straight, which leads out through farm land towards Scotts-Gap Feldwick Rd.