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Trauma bondage and the track that DOC forgot
Thousand Acres Plateau and the Matiri Valley, Kahurangi National Park
Some features on the map catch the passing eye. Distinct landforms etched by the passage of time that peak the curiosity. The southern Matiri Range is one of these places, a prehistoric limestone remnant of the seafloor thrust high above the surrounding landscape — the Thousand Acres Plateau and the Hundred Acres Plateau. Commanding over these plains are the twin mudstone peaks of the Needle and the Haystack. Whilst nestled in the valley below is Lake Matiri, a lake formed when the side of the Bald Knob Range collapsed during an earthquake 300 years ago.
With Labour Weekend looming Regan and I devised a plan to run a Wellington Tramping and Mountaineering Club (WTMC) trip to visit the Matiri Range. Our plan was to climb to Larrikin Creek Hut on the edge of the Thousands Acre Plateau, before crossing over the Haystack to Hurricane Hut. We would then spend the next two days walking down the Matiri Valley via McConchies Hut to form a loop. Due diligence was done and the route was marked on our maps. Two punters enrolled in the adventure, Jane and Ellen, and the forecast shone brightly on the horizon. What could go wrong?
