Thousand Acre Plateau

Location: Murchison
Gear Required: Regular tramping equipment

The start of the tramp is in farmland and the car park may be muddy but it's not long before you'll hit the bush. The track follows the Matiri River and it's an easy walk to Mairi Hut.
Matiri hut looks out over the beautiful lake Matiri, unfortunately there are a lot of sand files so make sure you take your repellant. It's a nice little hut with a fire and six bunks.
From Matiri hut the track heads around the lake for a while then begins a steep climb up onto the plateau. When you get near the top it's possible to see views back down to the lake and you'll soon break out of the bush onto the plateau.

The plateau is a huge flat piece of land surrounded almost entirely by sheer cliffs that drop off into the valleys below. You're now in short alpine tussock and the ground can be quite boggy.

It's a surprisingly long walk across the plateau to Larrikis Creek Hut, although it's quite flat. Poor Pete's Hut isn't a bad spot for a break but he is obviously to poor to properly maintain the hut. While you could spend the night there it's not exactly five star.

As you walk towards the northern end of the plateau you'll see the two mountains that mark the end of this flat expanse; The Needle and The Haystack.
After a small patch of stunted bush you'll emerge at Larrikins Creek Hut with the Haystack rising above you. It's another tidy little hut with four bunks and a fire.
From Larrikins Creek Hut to the top of The Needle there is no marked track but it's not to hard to find your way by following where others have been. Just head for the saddle on the ridge between the Needle and the Haystack then follow the ridge along to the top.

From The Needle you can see right out across the Hundred Acres Plateau and the lower larger Thousand Acres Plateau right to the point where you first emerged from Lake Matiri onto the plateau and beyond. It's a breathtaking landscape with the Hundred Acres Plateau just below you, which continues almost perfectly flat then abruptly drops off. And the shear size of the thousand acres plateau is a sight to behold. Where to go next is up to you; head for the top of The Haystack, explore the plateaus, or head back to they way you came.