Pete Debbie and Kelvin on The NeedleLeader: Kath Ballantine

Five intrepid trampers set off in the heat from the car park in the Matiri Valley at 3pm, heading for Lake Matiri Hut, our firsts night’s destination. (The temperature was 33 degrees celsius according to our vehicle’s reading.)

 The river crossing at the start of this track was easy, but some of us took the opportunity to immerse ourselves to cool off. We reached our destination in three hours. Peter and Kelvin set up their own camp on the flats, while Debbie, Susan and I enjoyed the newly-painted hut, and the outdoor table for evening meal.

We set off at 7am on Saturday, hoping to beat the heat as we had 700-metre elevation to gain to the plateau rim. However, it became hot very quickly as sweat poured off while we struggled up the slope.

There was a slight reprieve half way up as the ridge levelled out somewhat, where we enjoyed brief views of the valley floor below. Most of the time we were in lovely bush that changed as we ascended.

We eventually clambered up the last steep section to Poor Pete’s Hut, 30 minutes across the tussocks. It had taken us 3.5 hours instead of the stated track time of three. A brief stop to admire the renovated Poor Pete’s Hut, then we  set off in very hot sunny conditions across the undulating tussock plateau.

Lunch was brief as we had no shade, so we continued on. We found two small creeks allowing a chance to cool off in the shallow water, and eventually came into low beech forest offering some shade. After some steep descents into little creeks, we finally emerged onto a grassy flat and Larrikins Creek Hut in 3.5 hours.

Pete and Kelvin had arrived 30 minutes earlier and were already relaxing under a big beech tree, which became our dining and relaxing area. It was a lovely spot; we were entertained by robins, white eyes, bush wren, fantails and wekas. We were surprised to see a white weka, well documented in the hut book. All agreed that it was the toughest conditions we had ever walked in. We devised a plan to get up early to climb the Needle, and to change the plan of walking all the way out on the last day to walking out to Poor Pete’s hut late afternoon on Sunday.

At 7am on Sunday, we followed a marked track from the hut to an elevated flat area where we diverged from the track to The Haystack, heading across tussock land dotted with lovely tarns before scrambling up a steep slope of tussock and shrubs. We came out on a ridge to The Needle on the west of the peak. From there, it was a short ascent over the mudstone flanks of the Needle to the summit where we had magnificent views.

We returned to Larrikins Creek by lunch time and spent the afternoon relaxing. Debbie led Susan and I down to a beautiful deep rock pool in the creek just before the creek drops over the rim of the plateau – a great place for a swim and cool off. For the second afternoon cumulus clouds had gathered, threatening us with thunder, but we remained in the sun.

At 4.20pm we set off towards Poor Pete’s Hut. Conditions for walking became a little better as the day cooled. We arrived in good time (2.5 hours), set up tents, had supper and enjoyed the sunset.

We departed before 8am on Monday morning. The descent was easier than the ascent, though care had to be taken. We had a leisurely lunch at Lake Matiri, before heading off, enjoying plentiful ripe blackberries along the track, Pete and Debbie collecting a bag full to take home.

A swim at the river crossing was mitigated rapidly, as we walked the road back to the cars for an hour, reflecting that it would have been good to have had 4WD’s to drive the last four kilometres. By 3pm we were on the road returning to Nelson.

We all agreed it was a great tramp; we were all enthralled by the majesty of the landscape; we were enchanted by the multitude of small birds, especially the bush robins.

Thank you all team members for your support and good fun.

Participants were: Debbie Hogan, Kelvin Drew, Kath Ballantine (scribe and leader), with visitors Pete Waworis and Susan Jenkins.The Needle