Czeching Out Tasmania

Ah the Southwest, it’s a place that gets me all emotional just thinking about it. I remember the first time we drove past Maydena and entered the Southwest National Park. The misty peaks came into view on either side of the road and the vistas would burst into view and just completely blow your mind on the drive to Strathgordon. Several trips into the area later and I’m still like a giddy child every time. There’s been one area we’ve drove by a number of times but haven’t been able to squeeze it into our schedule.

The Needles makes for a very dramatic viewpoint on the drive into the Southwest and they’re something I’ve wanted to climb since I first glimpsed them from the road. The hike to the top is fairly gruelling but still pretty short in the grand scheme of Tasmanian hiking. My awesome navigation skills struck again on our way to the top as we completely missed the log book and ended up on a bit of a side trail, albeit one that still led to the top. The top, hard to define on the Needles as there’s a number of rocky outcrops that could easily be considered the summit.

We made our way to the top top and the summit cairn that marks the true summit of the Needles. They’re not on the list of Abels, just missing out by a few meters as well as perhaps not having that drop off that’s required to qualify. Don’t let that put you off one of the most rewarding short hikes in the state though.