Overland Track, Tasmania, in December.

Title Day 1

We arrived on the bus from Launceston around midday at the Ronny Creek visitors centre, where we signed in. For conservation and crowding reasons access to the track is strictly controlled during peak season (summer), and permits must be booked well in advance. 30 people a day are allowed to start, and must travel from N to S. After signing in, we headed for the cafe. And ate, and ate, and ate...

It was 2 pm before we started. Was it fear that held us back? The forecast was for freezing conditions and snow - and no showers for a week! Eeeeek!

We hoped to climb the famous Cradle Mtn at the southern end of Dove Lake, but freezing conditions and low visibility by the time we arrived rapidly eliminated our motivation.

Water break

After trekking for hours through sleet and snow flurries, albeit through beautiful terrain, we finally arrived at the haven of Waterfall Valley Hut, to find Diana and others huddled around the hut stove.

Title Day 2

We awoke the next morning to discover the truly appalling sight of snow crystals piling up upon the windows! The tents of those far braver may just be seen in the distance, outside in the cold.

But there were no more heated buses coming for us, so we cocooned ourselves in our gear and headed off along the track.

Thankfully, the sun soon came out, and things warmed up.

I'd hoped to return up the track and climb Barn Bluff, but it was still snowing with poor visibility up there, at the time. I'm definitely a fair weather hiker!

View 2

Parts of the trail were brilliant for comfort-lovers like myself!

And parts were most definitely not...

After hours of trekking, we arrived at picturesque Lake Windermere.

Wombats had completely mined a nearby ridge. There were holes everywhere, and piles of cube-shaped droppings, which they use to mark their territory. Unfortunately, I didn't see any, although others did.

L Windermere surrounds

View 1

The Windermere Hut was warm and comfy (relatively!), and frequented by pademelons (a type of wallaby), quolls and other wildlife. They would particularly frequent the washing up area at dusk, searching for food scraps.

To minimise erosion, tent platforms are available for use. They also help keep your tent mud-free! However, I'd only brought a summer sleeping bag (attempting to save pack space), and was scared of the nightly cold, and so we managed to get into a hut every night. For emergencies, or full huts, every party must carry tents, however.

Pademelon 1

Pademelon 3

Pademelon & joey

Title Day 3

Unfortunately, today was the longest planned (but not actual!) leg for us, at 14.2 km, and Jasmijn - not satisfied with the level of challenge - decided to injure herself before we started. Perhaps tired? she'd fallen between two benches, and hurt herself quite badly. Most people try not to do such things before hiking 14 km with a massive pack, but not Jasmijn! She coped very well!

Trail 2

Trail 3 JdeB

Whilst taking this picture, I showed my solidarity with Jasmijn by falling off the boardwalk. All of us hikers regularly fell, due to the weight of our massive packs (usu 18-23 kg), and the uneven, muddy (or underwater) paths. I believe in prior planning however, and managed to fall onto some nice comfy - and best of all, clean - buttongrass.