This is an excellent day trip in good weather, or can be conveniently split into an overnight trip with a stopover at Mangaturuturu Hut. I walked from south to north, began at 8:00 am from Ohakune Mountain Road, had lunch in the Whakapapaiti Valley before walking out to Bruce Road and down to the Chateau for an afternoon coffee. The track is in excellent condition and the views are awesome. As a geologist, I was fascinated by the volcanic landscape. The track is mostly above the bushline, crossing mixed scubland with small trees and tussock, and crossing three major river valleys: Mangaturuturu, Makatote, and Whakapapaiti.These valleys have also been the major flow paths for lahars from the crater lake and remain a potential hazard on this relatively active (geologically-speaking) volcano. The last lahar flowed down the mountain in 2007 (on the other side)