Day 4: (Tuesday 3rd March 2009) Having failed in our search for the route shown in the Topo map on the true left, we headed off in the wet on the true right where the banks above the river were not too high. While minor tracks were followed at times, these always faided and were probably deer or pig tracks! It was not possible to stay in the river bed but it would not take much work to cut a reasonable track above it.

The river bed or the bush or the river, but when bluffed, it was a bit of dodgy cliff climbing before we could get back to a reasonably safe river bed. Finally, we climbed up onto a river terrace and followed what seemed to be an old track (shown on my 1:50,000 Topo Map). This was confirmed when we found a derelict sign indicating Cow Saddle was further up Cleft Creek on our right. Unfortunately, the track disappeared and the banks of Cleft Creek really were a sheer cleft. Consensus decision was that we head down the creek back to the river and find the track coming up the Ruamahanga River to the saddle. Finding the pink ties marking a way into and out of Cleft Creek just below where we started down to the river was a very happy occasion and we are very grateful to whoever put them there!

After the 265m climb to Cow Saddle, it was a steep 145m drop into Cow Creek and onto the Waingawa River but then one has to head back up a few contours to access the new bridge further downstream. This is a substantial bridge and on reviewing John's 1st photo, I think there is a Tardis or some other alien device on the right bank (he thinks it is the toilet, but I don't recall the toilet being on a river bank and having lights in a window with beings watching us!) Click on tardis photo to see more.

Dinner? -Soup entrée (?Mushroom) with the main of Back Country Beef Curry with extra Back Country Beef Mince 160g, Nutrella and dried veges over (generic) Fettuccine. Dessert was Hansells strawberry mousse over a variety of dried NZ fruit.