Easter in the Matiri Range

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Easter in the Matiri Range Harry Smith Simply awesome that seems to be the general view about Easter this year, as seemingly the whole country enjoyed four days of perfect weather. We spent our Easter on the Matiri Range in Kahurangi National Park, where we had a great trip and visited some spectacular country. Lake Matiri Harry Smith et travelled down from Picton hire van after The Thousand Acre Plateau is - by a huge area of rolling tus- / the usual holiday weekend chaos at the ferry sock grasslands on top of the southern end of thel Matiri terminal. At Kawatiri Junction we met up with Range. The range here is capped by a flat strata oflime- Lyndsay Fletcher who had driven through from Nelson stone, and ringed much of the way round by a band of toj join us. Phil Kendon, Ann Kempster, Mike Pratt, and limestone bluffs. The surface is boggy and tussocky, with Suzie McQuoid went with Lyndsay to the Wangapeka bush around the fringes and the occasional sinkhole. roadend in the van, while Andrew McLellan, Jo McKenzie, John Thompson, and I continued on to the After lunch we wandered across to Poor Pete's Hut Matiri roadendi in Lyndsay's car. The plan was for the two where we hoped to get a drink, but no water was to be groups to do the trip from opposite ends and swap car found. We climbed a slight rise and continued along the keys when we met up halfway at Hurricane Hut on the poled route across the plateau, which was far less muddy Saturday night. than when I was here a few years ago. In the distance we could see the two distinctive peaks of thel Needle and That night we slept out under the beech trees at the the Haystack. As their names suggest, the Needle is Matiri roadend. Next morning we tramped in to Lake sharp and pointy while the Haystacki is broad and bulky. Matiri then set off on the climb up onto the Thousand Our destination for the day, Larrikins Creek Hut, was at Acre Plateau. The track climbs steeply at first, passing a the far end of the plateau at the foot of the Haystack. lookout point with great views out over the Matiri Val- Arriving at the hut, we found that it was occupied, but ley and the lake below. I was soon noticing my lack of we soon located a nice bivy spot under thel beech trees. fitness, and the others quickly disappeared out of sight upa ahead, but we had all dayt to reach Larrikins so I didn't Next morning we continued northward around the plabother trying to keep up. eventually caught the others teau for a short distance then scrambled up the steep up where they had stopped for lunch on the edge of the slope to the crest of the range halfway between the plateau. Needle and thel Haystack. Andrew andj John climbed the Tramping and Mountaineering 1997

Thousand Acre Plateau with Poor Pete's Hut in foreground Harry Smith Needle while Jo and I waited on the ridge. We then the distance. Eventually the track turned off to the left, scrambed along the loose rocky ridge towards thel Hay- and after a short uphill section I emerged beside Lake stack. From the top of the Haystack we had views out Jeanette in the open upper valley. Hurricane Hut was over the Thousand Acre Plateau to the south, and the another mile up-valley. Matiri Valley to the east. The other ranges and valleys of southern Kahurangi National Park continued on into the Now, on a previous trip to this area a few years ago, Eric, distance. This is impressive country, full of limestone Anita, Keith, Karen and - had pit-bashed at our camp bluffs and terraces, and scarred by hundreds of slips down in the river while Struan had gone for a quick halfformed in the big Murchison earthquake back in 1929. day trip by himself up to Hurricane Hut. He had come back scratched and muddy, cursing the deceptively The route down off the back of the Haystack was inter- pleasant-looking tussock flats surrounding the hut which rupted by a steep faultline scarp which ran across the had in fact turned out to be a miserable swamp. If you hillside and cut right through the ridge in a moat-like ever go to Hurricane Hut, he had warned, don't even trench. I had been here before but I couldn't remember think about trying to take a short-cut to the hut across exactly where we had crossed this gulch. John and went those easy-looking tussock flats. left, Jo and Andrew went right, and to my annoyance Jo and Andrew beat us to the bottom! From here we con- Well, I remembered that advice now, so I carefully foltinued down to a saddle, then sidled around northwards lowed the markers around the side of Lake Jeanette and onto the broad tops beyond. Haystack Hut was visible on up the first part of the valley. Then the markers in a clearing down to our left as we stopped for lunch. seemed to peter out. Soon - came to another small lake in the river. Where did the track go to now? I stopped After lunch we continued on to Point 1326 where a steep and consulted the map. Around to the left, it indicated, spur provides a route eastwards off the range. Back in SO I scrambled around through the boulders and scrub the bush halfway down the spur, we suddenly found up the bank to the left, and there did indeed appear to ourselves bluffed, SO we had a short grovelly traverse be a rough track of sorts up there. Clambering over the around the hillside before we found a route down to an top of a large boulder I caught sight of someone up by open tussock clearing on the flat below. From here it was the hut, a small dot in the distance but apparently wavanother bush-bash down to another tussock clearing ing me on. Obviously I was on the right route. where we picked up the Matiri Valley track. Soon I was past the small lake and back down at the Once on the track it was easy going through the beech river. Now where? Up to the left looked rough and forest beside the upper Matiri River. Our destination was scrubby. Again I - out the map. Across the river and Hurricane Hut, at the head of the valley. It was a pleas- up through the of the flats, it indicated, so across mder ant afternoon and the track led all the way to the hut, so the river I went, and out onto the flats... The next 40 Itook ite easy and let the others disappear out of sighti into minutes turned out to be an awful, miserable, grovelly Tramping and Mountaineering 1997

Dropping down to a tarn on the tops Harry Smith nightmare. A short distance out in the swamp, in the tance and we were soon at the top. The ridgeline northmiddle of nowhere, I came across an old marker pole wards off Nugget Knob was narrow and razor-backed for and convinced myself that I must be on the right route. a while, then it broadened out as we reached the north- That was the last sign of any sort of track I saw. I soon ern end of the range, above Wangapeka Saddle. We sat found myself floundering around in the swamp, jump- here at the bushedge soaking up the late afternoon sun ing from one unstable tussock clump to another, clam- before we reluctantly put our packs on again and bering down into and out of waist-deep watery hollows, dropped down the steep track to the saddle. From the and wading along twisting, turning, swampy river chan- saddle we followed the track down to Stone Hut. This nels. Closer to the hut, I found myself blundering from was a real contrast to the huts of the last couple of days rocki island to rock island through a maze of swamp and large, and modern, complete with gas stoves. The hut thick, tangled scrub. When I finally reached the dry land was full, SO we set up the fly on the grass outside. surrounding the hut I was hot and sweaty, plastered in mud, oozing blood from numerous cuts and scratches, Our final day was a long pleasant wander out down the and cursing the ancestry of whoever it was who had Wangapeka Track. You could tell we were on a popular chosen to site the hut in that particular spot. track it was generally wide, benched and graded, a big contrast to the travel on the previous three days. We But oncel having reached it, the 4-bunk hut proved pleas- stopped for a rest at the historic King's Hut, a slab-totara ant and cosy enough. There was no sign of Lyndsay's hut built by a gold prospector who lived there until he party as I claimed the last bunk. Lyndsay's group turned died not too long ago. A flash, modern hut has been built up later that evening. We heard shouts in the bush on just a few hundred yards down the valley, but to me it thel hillside opposite, then they emerged one by one into has none of the character of the old hut, which is being the open. They set up camp in a clearing in the scrub and preserved as an historic place in King's memory. In a we had a combined dinner in the hut. nice touch, a note in the logbook asks you to please take care of the old prospector's possessions as he has just Next morning we bade farewell to Lyndsay's group and gone out for a walk and will be back soon. set off up the hillside and onto the open tops. The rest of the day was a glorious trip northwards along the tops Further down the valley the track passed through a sein fine weather. About a third of the way along the range, ries of beautiful grassy flats. Wandering through these just before a small bush saddle, we came to a large tarn, the last few days all suddenly seemed to feel a bit the only source of water for the entire day. The range rushed, and Ifeltlcould quite happily just wander into rose and fell in a series of tiring bumps, and all the way one of these flats a few hours from the roadend, set up along we could see in the distance the steep, rounded camp, and spend the entire weekend just lazing around bulk of Nugget Knob, the final big bump we would have in the sun and fishing. Eventually we crossed the last to climb over; however, when we finally reached it, it swing-bridge and arrived at the carpark. And So ended didn't seem nearly as bad as it had looked from a dis- a brilliant and highly successful 4-day trip. Tramping and Mountaineering 1997