Overland Track, Tasmania

I am back safe and sound from the Overland Track. The trek was wonderful, the scenery spectacular and the people friendly. I had a lot of time for introspection as I walked, and on top of some major revelations, I also enjoyed some really magical moments. The park is impeccably maintained and managed. There are log books at each hut to document the route of each trekker, and we all have registration numbers which the rangers check from time to time. The huts are well equipped for cooking and cleaning (fire-resistant table surfaces etc.), and while spartan provide everything you could want. Rain water is collected in huge tanks at the huts so there is always potable water available, and the outhouses are all composting toilets so that even food scraps can be disposed of there.

The first day was very tough, as expected based on the trek notes. There was a lot of uphill climbing, some of it very steep and I was carrying all my gear on my back. I didn't get started until about 11:00 AM as that is when the bus dropped me of and I got checked in with the parks people. In the middle of the afternoon I made the decision to summit Cradle Mountain which is an offshoot of the trail. It is a very steep climb, most of it scrambling over huge boulders. It added an extra 3 hours to my day, but was well worth it as the views were stunning. (I was able to leave my backpack below when I did the summit climb.) By the time I finally got into camp at about 6:00 PM, I was almost in tears from exhaustion and blisters all over my feet. (I left my old hiking boots in Bhutan and bought a new pair in Melbourne. As much as I tried to break them in before the trek, there's only so much walking around the house in them that I could do.) It sure made me appreciate the porters and yaks/horses I have had to carry my gear on other treks.

The first hut, Waterfall hut, has a full-time ranger staying there, as well as a couple of volunteers who rotate out every couple of weeks. They help the trekkers figure out the "system", where everything is and how it works. It was a nice evening meeting the other trekkers, chatting with the volunteers and watching the nocturnal animals start showing up at about dusk. Everyone was in bed at about 8:30 which is when it gets dark. Despite my fatigue, this was a bit too early for me, but I was able to read by headlamp for a while before I dropped off.

Day two was a short day and I arrived at Windermere hut shortly after noon. I had all my blisters taped up, and even though my feet hurt, it wasn't too bad. I was definitely walking much slower than most people, as each footstep is somewhat painful and I was terrified of falling. I have discovered that my balance leaves a lot to be desired (especially with an extra 50 lbs or so on my back) - not sure if that's part of my old hip problem or not. I was very glad to have my hiking pole to help me over the rough ground and roots. We all did a short (1-hour) side hike into a pretty little lake, but it was quite cool and rainy so I didn't swim there. I did go for a quick swim in the lake beside the hut, and even though there is a strict ban on soap in the park (even biodegradable soap is prohibited), it felt good to at least rinse off in the cool water. A quiet afternoon around camp and early to bed again.

Day three was a bit longer, but I had set my expectations well and managed alright. Pelion hut is huge (sleeps 60) as it is at a bit of a crossroads and has access from several different parks. It is a beautiful spot and I really enjoyed watching the views from the deck as the sun was going down.

Day four was another long day and included another summit. We climbed to the top of Mt Ossa which is the highest peak in Tasmania. (That's not saying much - there are no real mountains of any size in Australia.) It was well worth the effort as the views were spectacular from the top. 360 degrees of rugged mountain peaks. By the end of the day, I was really starting to feel the stress. My blisters were very sore as was my back and most of my leg muscles. I was starting to worry at this point, but that's when things started to turn around and everything started to heal by the next morning. There is a lovely little waterfall beside Kia Ora hut with a swimming hole at the bottom. Even though the water was too cold for a swim, I managed to get in thigh deep and give myself a splash. Once I was all bundled up with my book on the deck to relax until dinner, I noticed some dirt was caught in the blister on my left big toe. Closer examination revealed that it was in fact a leech inside the blister on my toe. I am embarrassed to admit that my first thought was to call out for a man. Fortunately, there was a worthy man nearby (Australian/Canadian hybrid) who went into the hut for salt and returned with a box of matches. Nobody had any salt so he had to burn the leech off my toe. I was very brave throughout the procedure and I was very grateful for his gentle ministrations.

Day five was supposed to be a short day for me, but I stretched it out socializing along the trail. We stopped at a couple of waterfalls which were very pretty. We stayed at a very small hut called Windy Ridge, which isn't used much as most trekkers press on to the next camp for the night. As a result we were a small group and we had a good time making use of the Scrabble game left in the hut. It had started raining about an hour before I arrived in camp, and there was some fairly threatening thunder and lightening. I was actually beginning to get quite nervous as it was quite dark already at 3:30 PM and I was carrying a metal hiking pole through a thunderstorm. About this time I entered into an old growth forest. The trees were huge and covered in moss, the canopy high overhead. While it was even darker in the forest, I felt this wonderful sense of security and comfort within it. Just like at my home in Val-des-Monts, I felt embraced and protected by the woods. It gave me renewed energy and spirit to make it into camp.

I left the main trail on day six to stay at the much-recommended Pine Valley hut. The walk in was fairly easy and very pretty, although the weather deteriorated as the day wore on. I got to the hut, left my bag there, and climbed up to a rock formation named the Parthenon. It was really raining and totally socked in - I couldn't see a thing. On the far side of the Parthenon is an area known as the Labyrinth, so named because it is a huge area of rocks, lakes and shrubberies with an infinte number of paths through it. People have been lost there and never found. You are advised not to go there alone, especially when the weather is not clear. As it turns out, someone has marked one path through the Labyrinth with stone cairns, and I followed this path as far as the first lake. The cairns were close enough together that there was no chance of me losing my way (and I had left word with some other trekkers at Pine Valley as to where I was going). As I walked along the ridge of the Parthenon and down into the Labyrinth, the clouds were swirling around me and the views were changing every second. Everything was a shade of gray and colours would only appear when I got very close to them. It was eerie and beautiful. I felt both at peace and exhilarated at the same time. It was the first time that I've felt truly happy and "right" since I've left Asia. It was a sense of connecting with the universe and being totally in synch with my environment. It makes me wonder about the way we live our lives in the developed world. Since I've been in Australia, I've been living much as I did at home and fell victim to the lures of TV, the internet, shopping malls and cinemas. It seems that all these things that seem such an integral part of our lives are actually distractions from life. It's amazing how much more alive I feel when I don't have access to these things. It was a very powerful moment for me and has me longing to get back to Asia or at least out of my comfort zone.

On the way down from the Parthenon, the clouds parted long enough for me to catch a view of Lake St. Clair which marks the end of the Overland Track. I got back to the hut to find a family there with two small girls. I was a bit concerned about this, but the girls were polite, well-behaved, very talkative and fun to have around.

My plan was to hike to another rock formation, the Acropolis before I left Pine Valley on day seven. Unfortunately, the weather was awful and there was no point in going - it affords wonderful views in good weather, but on this day you couldn't seen the hand in front of your face. We all hung around in the cabin until about 11:00 hoping the weather would clear, but we had no luck. At that point I started my descent to my last hut, Narcissus, which sits on the shores of Lake St. Claire. There is a ferry that runs from one end of the lake to the other, and most trekkers choose to end their hike at Narcissus and jump on the ferry there. As a result, I was alone at Narcissus hut for the night. I was worried about being lonely out there, but given my background with lakeside huts, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. The weather stayed very wet for the remainder of the afternoon and evening, but I was entertained by watching the views come and go through the swirling clouds and rain. I stood on the ferry dock and slowly did a 360 degree turn and realized that there likely weren't any other people as far as I could see in any direction. It was a wonderful feeling of serenity and freedom.

I woke the next morning to perfectly blue skies. I took a cup of tea down to the dock and watched the sun burn the mist off the lake. It was so much like home and yet so far away from home. I stripped down and slid into the cold water for a morning swim and then stood with my feet in the frost of the dock and let the warm sunshine dry me off. It was absolutely glorious! I got myself ready to go, and started on my trek down the lake just as the morning ferry was arriving. The weather continued to be great, and I hiked through beautiful forest along the lake shore for five hours. After completing the entire trek without spotting a snake, I managed to see two within the last 45 minutes of my walk. Both were very big black tiger snakes, the same lethally poisonous type that was living in Brian's driveway. Fortunately both left me alone long enough to jump-start my heart and get hiking again. At about 3:00 I arrived at the Lake St. Clair Visitor Centre and my trek was over. I pitched my tent and took a fabulous hot shower. I ran into the family from Pine Valley hut (they had taken the ferry across the lake as I was hiking down its shore) and joined them for a couple of well-deserved cold beers at the restaurant in the Visitors Centre. I had dinner at my camp and went to bed.

My final day in the park was spent doing a seven-hour circuit trek up Mt. Rufus. Given that I wasn't carrying anything other than a sandwhich and some water, I practically ran up this mountain. It was a really lovely trek, and the views were superb from the top. I came down via a small lake and had my lunch on its shores. I met another couple on the hike who were also staying at the campsite. They invited me to join them at a pub down the road, so I had a lovely visit with them and enjoyed a glass of wine at the end of the day. They are a newly retired couple from outside Melbourne who are traveling all around Australia. They were very friendly and I had a great time with them.

Unfortunately it rained all night and it turns out that my cheapie tent isn't exactly rain-proof. Fortunately, my bus didn't come until late the next afternoon, so I spent the morning in the laundry facilities, drying everything out. I actually came back to Hobart with all my gear clean and dry.

I have just made arrangements to go out to Freycinet Park on Sunday (March 10) to do another couple of days of trekking. This time I'll be on the coast and will likely have much clearer and warmer weather. I'm looking forward to that, as the Hobart summer leaves something to be desired. I guess we're actually heading into autumn here, much as you are all heading into spring. Hobart is almost at the same latitude as home, so the weather is much more extreme here than in other parts of Australia.

I'll likely not blog again until after Freycinet (March 14), but I do welcome all your e-mails, so keep writing.