Visiting Auckland from the US

a lot of the tracks on the kaimais are overgrown and muddy

Well. It's official. Will arrive in Auckland on Sat. Still have hopes of going to TNP for 3.5 days during the following weekend. The forecast seems a bit touch and go so I may very well have to lean on a plan B.

As a plan B you could look to the Kaimanawas and a trip in to Waipakihi Hut gives a few options if the weather doesn't behave. If you go in over Umakarikari to Waipakihi Hut you can then either climb to the Thunderbolt tops and camp there and then continue down to the Waipakahi River again. Then climb out over Urchin and you can take the track (bit rough in places) that joins back up with the Umakarikari range and where you left the car. Also camping spots just below where this track meets with Sharp Cone. If the weather is bad you can stay in the hut and walk down the Waipakahi and camp below the track to Urchin then make your way back as above either by going over Urchin a and out (will require about an hours road walk back to Umakarikari car park) or by following the track back to the Umakarikari range.

Dave - Thanks for the advice. After a quick look it looks like a valid option for sure. It seems a bit more rocky vs the muddy tracks I am seeing when looking closer to Auckland. I will try to research the route you mentioned. Thanks again!

Most of it is typical NZ tops travel - a mixture of rock and tussock. A few areas that could be a bit muddy after consistent rain but they would be pretty short and only around where there are tarns on the tops. If the weather does manage to play ball you get great views across Lake Taupo and also back to the central plateau volcanoes and Egmont.

Dave, do you know of a good trail map online of the area you mentioned?

Here you go: http://www.topomap.co.nz/NZTopoMap?v=2&ll=-39.12392,175.95828&z=14&pin=1

From looking at the map most of the route makes sense. In on Umakarikari Track to the hut. From there it is a bit confusing on the route to take to the Thunderbolt tops and then down to the river. Is it the middle range route or do you continue to JunctionTop? Or either? From there simply ridge walk to the "thunderbolt track", cross the river, up the steep trail to Urchin then right to sharp cone/Umakarikari and back to the car? What is the total distance?

Don't go up the Junction Top track. It is probably possible to connect to the Thunderbolt range but there is a "gap" between which will require a significant drop and climb in untracked bush. From Waipakahi Hut head downriver on the true left on to a swampy flat where the track to the Thunderbolt range branches off and heads toward the bush on your left. The track then climbs through the bush until you hit the clear tops. There's good camping spots next to tarns reasonably frequently once you pass Thunderbolt. Time wise it will obviously depend on each individual. To give an example of a trip I did in reverse. I left the Waipakihi River from just before the track up Moutere at about 8am and traversed the Range to Waipakihi Hut by about 2.30pm. I then carried on up to Umakarkari which I reached about 5pmish. I turned off and headed on the track to Urchin as my car was at that car park which I reached just after 9pm. I usually move reasonably quickly but was going a bit slower by the end of the day! For fair time estimates I'd say 5hrs from Umakarikari car park to hut, approx 6 to 8 hours to traverse Thunderbolt range, then similar to get from Waipakahi River back to the car park. Note there is no reliable water on the Umakarikari tops or between Urchin and Umakarikari so make sure you carry a decent amount with you. Thunderbolt range isn't so bad with the tarns.

Gotcha! ;) Thanks again! Looks like a good time!