Overland Track, Tasmania, Australia.
Created | Updated May 26, 2002
Tasmania's Overland Track
The Overland Track, is an 80km hike that is located on Tasmania, Australia's island state. It is a walk of great natural beauty, starting at Cradle mountain and ending at Lake St Clare, with conveniently located bunk houses along the way.
Bunkhouses are basic huts with a wooden table and extra large bunkbeds with a wooden mattress, meaning, no matress at all. Each "bed" holds around 5 people on each level, sleeping next to each other.
I wrote this as a Journal, I was going to edit out the bickering and nasty things that were said about Lotte, I decided to keep them in to give a realistic report on hiking with a group of people. Looking back, hunger, tiredness and physical exertion played a major part in our arguments, we get on fine now, honest.
We woke up at 06:30 showered and packed up camp by 07:30, Mark our driver drove us out the campsite so we didn't have to pay out $10 each for the site. We also drove straight into the national park and didn't pay there, this I feel bad about and will offer to pay when we get to Lake St. Clare.
We had breakfast of porridge and mixed fruit at the car park before heading off. We left at 08:45 and reached the Scout hut by 10:00 and the Crater Lake view point at 11:00, hitting Kitchen Hut around 12:00, there we stopped for more porridge and fruit and headed off again at 13:00. We hit Waterfall Valley hut at around 15:30 and decided to stay there for the night.
I have been walking on ahead of everyone and stopping now and then to read my book and let the others catch up. I am reading John Grisham's The Brethren. I fully believe that when I finish my book, which will be soon, I will end up baiting Lotte more because she is the only one that would give me a fight, although she doesn't do it well, she tends to finish with a "Yeah your right!" Which is frankly amateurish.
I lost a game of "S***head" (Aussie backpacker game) and the loser had to cook dinner, so I am in the middle of cooking dinner. It's almost 18:00 and I will read for an hour come 19:00 and then go to bed after that
(a little later.) Almost bed time now and I nearly forgot to mention how beautiful the scenery was absolutely magnificent, awe inspiring.
Had a bit of bother sleeping last night, was sleeping on a plank of wood, still better than a tent.
It was a bit weird this morning, I scared a wallaby from the bush while I was having a pee. I kinda jumped and said "Oh, it's only a wallaby." That's not a phrase you hear much at home. It was just like stumbling upon a sheep in the hills back home.
Found an Echidna rooting around and watched that for a while, it's like a porcupine/anteater beast, very funny looking. Also met a snake.
We headed off around 08:20 this morning and reached Lake Windermere at 10:00 and had a swim, very cold, but excellent to feel clean again, don't actually feel clean anymore.
I am now at New Pelion Hut, I arrived at around 16:15 and the other three are just about to walk in at 17:11, too much bickering going on, I tend now to walk on for a while, wait and read my book then when they catch up, walk again.
My book reading went quite well today I may or may not finish it before the end, hopefully I will and then I could trade it for a chocolate bar at the moment I would trade my mother for a piece of meat. Steak, beer and all you can eat buffets fill my mind during every step. We have no meat on this trip.
I am knackered tonight, we did a fair trip today and the last spell was mainly uphill. Buggered and glad to be going to bed early.
Watched the most amazing sunset last night at New Pelion Hut really impressive setting over the plain and behind the mountains. The facing Mt. Oakleigh turned the most amazing colour, Lotte was not there as she was off in a mood, because we had a fight over whether humans were evolved to eat meat, stupid bugger isn't even vegetarian.
A leisurely morning as today was supposed to be an easy day. We left New Pelion Hut at around 10:20 and Elise and I reached Pelion Gap at around 11:50. Guus and Lotte arrive at 12:10. Guus and I headed off up Mt. Ossa, Tasmania's highest peak at 1613m. The girls headed on to Kia Ora Hut, this was another lovely hut and I went for a swim under a beautiful waterfall in very icy cold water, but it was excellent and got the heart racing.
The meal we had was actually quite tasty, rice mixed with tomato soup powder, really nice only lacking king prawns other than that we have been eating a lot of porridge which I don't really mind.
We slept at Kia Ora Hut, which was quite good, the girls complained of the cold but other than the hard wood bed I slept quite comfortably. I sleep as far from Guus as possible the bugger snores so bad, quite a few others were complaining about him in the morning, but he didn't bother me, nice big hut.
Got up nice and early and after some porridge we all headed off around 08:40, we went for a nice walk down to Harnett Falls, that was very nice. We reached Windy Ridge Hut by around 12:30 and had some more porridge. We were, by now, quite friendly with three guys from Sydney and they gave us some of their ready made meals for the nights dinner.
I reached Narcissus Hut around 16:00 and went swimming then I cooked my lovely meal supplied by the guys from Sydney, satay rice, wonderful!
Bloody hell, because I was walking first I stirred up snakes on at least four occasions, since every snake on Tasmania is poisonous, I proved I was no Steve Irwin, I was very scared, massive big stinking Tiger snakes, not funny.
Relations between Lotte and myself reached an all time low, she just bugs the crap out of me, the Sydney guys even commented that she was messy, she spilled milk when making her meal and Elise and me had to clean it up the next morning. Then Dave from Sydney gave her some crackers, seconds later she shouted at Guus for taking some of the crackers she had seconds earlier got for free. I think I am writing this too close to the time as I still want to rip her head off.
DAY FIVE
Before I even got out of bed this morning I had a shouting match with Lotte, I was getting the ferry boat out and the rest where walking so I said Elise could leave her rucksack if she wanted to take my day pack! Fair enough. I said the stove would have to go in Elise's rucksack as it usually went in my day pac, fair enough. I told Elise to pack her rucksack and no bother. Can't be bothered with this immature nonsense bottom line, Lotte is a pain in the arse.
The three others left a little after 08:00 and I got the ferry down a few hours later, with two of the three guys from Sydney. When I hit the visitors centre boy did I eat? I ate! 2 ham salad sandwiches, while waiting for my burger and chips to cook, chocolate cake and a cornetto. Then I had a wee break for an hour or so. Then had Pasta and chips, chocolate bar and an ice cream. Just before the bus came I had another ice cream, when the bus had a wee break I had a big bag of crisps and when I finally got back to Hobart I had a Zinger Tower Meal from KFC. Trying to make up for not eating enough on the trail.
The Overland Track, is an 80km hike that is located on Tasmania, Australia's island state. It is a walk of great natural beauty, starting at Cradle mountain and ending at Lake St Clare, with conveniently located bunk houses along the way.
Bunkhouses are basic huts with a wooden table and extra large bunkbeds with a wooden mattress, meaning, no matress at all. Each "bed" holds around 5 people on each level, sleeping next to each other.
I wrote this as a Journal, I was going to edit out the bickering and nasty things that were said about Lotte, I decided to keep them in to give a realistic report on hiking with a group of people. Looking back, hunger, tiredness and physical exertion played a major part in our arguments, we get on fine now, honest.
DAY ONE
We woke up at 06:30 showered and packed up camp by 07:30, Mark our driver drove us out the campsite so we didn't have to pay out $10 each for the site. We also drove straight into the national park and didn't pay there, this I feel bad about and will offer to pay when we get to Lake St. Clare.
We had breakfast of porridge and mixed fruit at the car park before heading off. We left at 08:45 and reached the Scout hut by 10:00 and the Crater Lake view point at 11:00, hitting Kitchen Hut around 12:00, there we stopped for more porridge and fruit and headed off again at 13:00. We hit Waterfall Valley hut at around 15:30 and decided to stay there for the night.
I have been walking on ahead of everyone and stopping now and then to read my book and let the others catch up. I am reading John Grisham's The Brethren. I fully believe that when I finish my book, which will be soon, I will end up baiting Lotte more because she is the only one that would give me a fight, although she doesn't do it well, she tends to finish with a "Yeah your right!" Which is frankly amateurish.
I lost a game of "S***head" (Aussie backpacker game) and the loser had to cook dinner, so I am in the middle of cooking dinner. It's almost 18:00 and I will read for an hour come 19:00 and then go to bed after that
(a little later.) Almost bed time now and I nearly forgot to mention how beautiful the scenery was absolutely magnificent, awe inspiring.
DAY TWO
Had a bit of bother sleeping last night, was sleeping on a plank of wood, still better than a tent.
It was a bit weird this morning, I scared a wallaby from the bush while I was having a pee. I kinda jumped and said "Oh, it's only a wallaby." That's not a phrase you hear much at home. It was just like stumbling upon a sheep in the hills back home.
Found an Echidna rooting around and watched that for a while, it's like a porcupine/anteater beast, very funny looking. Also met a snake.
We headed off around 08:20 this morning and reached Lake Windermere at 10:00 and had a swim, very cold, but excellent to feel clean again, don't actually feel clean anymore.
I am now at New Pelion Hut, I arrived at around 16:15 and the other three are just about to walk in at 17:11, too much bickering going on, I tend now to walk on for a while, wait and read my book then when they catch up, walk again.
My book reading went quite well today I may or may not finish it before the end, hopefully I will and then I could trade it for a chocolate bar at the moment I would trade my mother for a piece of meat. Steak, beer and all you can eat buffets fill my mind during every step. We have no meat on this trip.
I am knackered tonight, we did a fair trip today and the last spell was mainly uphill. Buggered and glad to be going to bed early.
DAY THREE
Watched the most amazing sunset last night at New Pelion Hut really impressive setting over the plain and behind the mountains. The facing Mt. Oakleigh turned the most amazing colour, Lotte was not there as she was off in a mood, because we had a fight over whether humans were evolved to eat meat, stupid bugger isn't even vegetarian.
A leisurely morning as today was supposed to be an easy day. We left New Pelion Hut at around 10:20 and Elise and I reached Pelion Gap at around 11:50. Guus and Lotte arrive at 12:10. Guus and I headed off up Mt. Ossa, Tasmania's highest peak at 1613m. The girls headed on to Kia Ora Hut, this was another lovely hut and I went for a swim under a beautiful waterfall in very icy cold water, but it was excellent and got the heart racing.
The meal we had was actually quite tasty, rice mixed with tomato soup powder, really nice only lacking king prawns other than that we have been eating a lot of porridge which I don't really mind.
We slept at Kia Ora Hut, which was quite good, the girls complained of the cold but other than the hard wood bed I slept quite comfortably. I sleep as far from Guus as possible the bugger snores so bad, quite a few others were complaining about him in the morning, but he didn't bother me, nice big hut.
DAY FOUR
Got up nice and early and after some porridge we all headed off around 08:40, we went for a nice walk down to Harnett Falls, that was very nice. We reached Windy Ridge Hut by around 12:30 and had some more porridge. We were, by now, quite friendly with three guys from Sydney and they gave us some of their ready made meals for the nights dinner.
I reached Narcissus Hut around 16:00 and went swimming then I cooked my lovely meal supplied by the guys from Sydney, satay rice, wonderful!
Bloody hell, because I was walking first I stirred up snakes on at least four occasions, since every snake on Tasmania is poisonous, I proved I was no Steve Irwin, I was very scared, massive big stinking Tiger snakes, not funny.
Relations between Lotte and myself reached an all time low, she just bugs the crap out of me, the Sydney guys even commented that she was messy, she spilled milk when making her meal and Elise and me had to clean it up the next morning. Then Dave from Sydney gave her some crackers, seconds later she shouted at Guus for taking some of the crackers she had seconds earlier got for free. I think I am writing this too close to the time as I still want to rip her head off.
DAY FIVE
Before I even got out of bed this morning I had a shouting match with Lotte, I was getting the ferry boat out and the rest where walking so I said Elise could leave her rucksack if she wanted to take my day pack! Fair enough. I said the stove would have to go in Elise's rucksack as it usually went in my day pac, fair enough. I told Elise to pack her rucksack and no bother. Can't be bothered with this immature nonsense bottom line, Lotte is a pain in the arse.
The three others left a little after 08:00 and I got the ferry down a few hours later, with two of the three guys from Sydney. When I hit the visitors centre boy did I eat? I ate! 2 ham salad sandwiches, while waiting for my burger and chips to cook, chocolate cake and a cornetto. Then I had a wee break for an hour or so. Then had Pasta and chips, chocolate bar and an ice cream. Just before the bus came I had another ice cream, when the bus had a wee break I had a big bag of crisps and when I finally got back to Hobart I had a Zinger Tower Meal from KFC. Trying to make up for not eating enough on the trail.
