Sawcut & Waima Gorges Circuit via the Zoo

Times given are the times we took. We are currently moderately fit.

Blue Mountain to Isolation Hut (2 hrs): Easy wander up Waima and then Isoation Creek passing through Sawcut Gorge and admiring the limestone and the vegetation. Isolation Hut recently tidied up by DOC and now sleeps 6. White board at Blue Mountain station enables trampers to record their intentions to stay at the hut and if used will give an indication of numbers.

Isolation Hut to Brian Boru biv (1 hr 50 mins): Doc marked this track up through matai forest to saddle and down to the biv. Last section above the biv descends steeply over loose chalk scree. 

Brian Boru biv to Zoo Hut (1 hr 40 mins): Doc have marked this track all the way to the zoo. Track climbs initially through bush, drops down to side creek draining into Brian Boru Stream, then up again onto a farm track below Iwitahi Ridge finally dropping down to the hut in a clearing in bush adjacent to some old yards.

Zoo Hut to upper Waima River over Chalk Range: Follow farm track through gate beside hut, then farm track down to the swamp. Sidle around swamp to the left and cross Nidd stream at end of the swamp. Follow fence line up through grassland with Totara, heading west near top to patch of hoheria (Mountain Ribbonwood I think), then up onto ridge avoiding chalk bluffs. Follow fence line down until spur steepens and veer to right to follow easier spur down to Waima River arriving at confluence with Horse Stream.

Waima River to Sawcut Gorge (4 hrs 15 mins): Easy wander down river until the first narrow section of the gorge at hill 535m. Don't be deceived - looks like you can walk through gets deeper and involves your first swim. Continue on past Box Stream Confluence and still relatively easy for about a kilometre. From there on, you are in the gorge and scrambling around boulders, wading through and swimming with pack where necessary. Swims for us were generally just a few metres. Past junction with Brian Boru stream there are two more swims, one of which was the longest swim which we reckoned was about 40 m. After this there are no more swims and travel becomes somewhat easier until you reach the confluence with Isolation Creek.

Waima/Isolation Creek Confluence to Blue Mountain (45 mins): Retrace your steps down Waima to the station.

ALTERNATIVE: A shorter trip which could easily be done in a weekend and avoids the section through farmland is Isolation Creek to Brian Boru, down Brian Boru Stream to the Waima Gorge and out. We have not done this but met a group who told us that Brain Boru stream is quite manageable and doesn't involve any swims.

MAP: We took a topomap of area with us, but found a doc map titled Isolated Hill Hunting Area in Isolation Hut which was much more useful. This has all the bivs in the area marked (Brian Boru, Isolated Hill and Napoleon) which are not on the topomap, as well as the track right through to Zoo Hut. I have searched online for this but can't find it on the doc website - you would probably have to contact doc marlborough to get a copy of this.