Takahue Saddle Road, traverses the Takahue Saddle in the Raetea Forest. It was once used to link the the towns of Takahue in the North and Broadwood in the South, but has long since fallen into disuse and reverted to a paper road. Some evidence of this is a Hall and a Church at either end also in the track composition.
Both ends start out as gravel and if travelling from the South the track soon narrows and degrades and you come across a water hole which had a relatively solid base before crossing the Reremapere Stream. At this time there was very little rain for 2 weeks so was easily fordable, although it may be impassable by bike after heavy rain.
Directly after the stream is a steep climb just out of sight so maintaining some momentum would be advisable. From there it’s fairly straight forward but there are slips, holes and drops on both sides of the track to be wary off. Because of this it should not be attempted alone.
It may be easier to travel from North to South, but the stream and water hole is at the southern end and gets you a look at this first up.
From the summit to the North end you may encounter trampers as this section is used in the Te Araroa Trail. There is also a campground (fee by donation) on the northern side.
Contributed by: @daniel_fisher
Track type: Dirt Track
Track composition: Rough, Muddy, Steep
Slippery when wet? Yes
Suitable for bikes <650cc? Intermediate
Suitable for bikes >650cc? Experienced
River crossings? Yes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ul8ois7Cots