Category: Overland Track

Overland Track – Day 1 – March 14th

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From Ronny Valley to Waterfall Valley hut, km 10.

Big day today. I will be hiking again. I went for the 830h mandatory briefing for all Overland Track hikers. In that session I was alone. Felt promising that the trail will not be too busy.

Goodbyes from my loved ones. Both kids are so lovely… Matilda is stomping with her little feet for excitement… And Frida didn’t want to let me go. Gosia, thank you so much for this!

Started walking 10.45h. Took a first break after the ascend to Marion’s lookout at noon.


Second break at 1400h, km8. Such a beautiful view.


I decided not to the side trip to Cradle Mountain peak. Just not feeling it. It looked steeper then I thought since it was just 300m more up. But I didn’t want to haul up my full pack… And I went against the equipment recommendation and didn’t bring a separate smaller day pack for these side trips.
Arrived in the Waterfall Valley hut around 1530h.
Set up the tent on one of the platforms, I was the first and chose the most exposed one with the best view.


Chatted with a few other hikers, mainly from Australia. The hut is amazing. Very new, clean and stylish designed.

I walked down to the other older hut that just had place for 4… The current one has space for more than 30. Walking the area, I spotted two wombats grazing.

Sat down on the porch to take my notes, three Australians around me chatting.
Checked out the supposedly nearby lake. It turned out to be just a pond with not very clear water. I will skip the swimming today.
Hungry from the day… Surprisingly. I expected that the hunger will only come a few days in. So I started cooking dinner already at 1745h.
A ranger did the rounds, checked up on everyone and did some small talk. I had seen an older ranger on the track before – quite some coverage. I am curious if this will stay like this for the next few days. The trail today also really well maintained. Together with the impression of the first hut today… I didn’t expect that kind of level.

In the tent by 19h, satellite messaging a bit with Gosia. Good first day.

Overland Track – Day 2 – March 15th

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From Waterfall Valley hut to New Pelion hut, km 32.

I slept very well in the tent. Sleeping bag had felt a bit too warm went I fell asleep, but it turned out to be just very cozy during the night. The night was very quiet. Just one other hiker’s snore in the distance. Not many animal sounds, no wind…

I woke up well rested with dawn a bit before 7am. Breakfast in the hut, chatting with a few other hikers. Most hikers from Australia.

Started walking around 9h.

Alone on the track, I love the quietness in the morning. Just a few birds greeting me and the sound of my own steps.

The track climbs a small hill and I walk through very light fog/low hanging clouds… Refreshing little water drops in the air.

Made it through really beautiful scenery to hut Windermere. Since this was just about 8km, I will just refill water and rest, then move on to the New Pelion hut, another 15km out.

Rested 20min, then continued at around 12h.

Short stop at 1pm, 22km. Colorful, blue and yellow birds singing around me.

Had the track for myself until maybe 15h, then I ran into several hikers on their way to New Pelion hut.

I made it to the hut around 17h. With limited space in the tent platforms, it would have been rather crowded. So I pitched my tent on the grass in the camping overflow area.

I prepared my dinner at the hut, some chatting with other hikers and the ranger who also here checked in with everyone.

Also this hut is impressive. Maybe the architecture is not as modern as the Waterfall Valley and the Windermere guys, but nice and clean facilities. Even the compost toilets here were not stinky at all. I remember the worst smell from the toilets at the Kungsleden in Sweden.

This was a nice day. Beautiful views, very different types of track from boardwalk to rock climbing, muddy parts and lots of roots. I had the track for myself, most of the time. Between 9h when I started and around 15h, I didn’t meet anyone on the hike – just how I like it. Time for myself, my thoughts… Just walking through nature.

I am also at peace because Gosia and I have been exchanging messages via satellite. I know she is having a good time with our daughters at a fishing lake.

Life is good.

Overland Track – Day 3 – March 16th

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From New Pilon hut to Windy Ridge/Bert Nichols hut, km 50

Woke up at 7h. What a night. No snoring despite the many tents… But lots of wildlife activity. In the middle of the night, a Tasmanian devil was walking by my tent… snaring, hissing… Like being annoyed not finding any food (I hope) that hikers had left. There was also a lot of other activities… Little animals marching by, noises in the grass, in the leaves…

Breakfast 745h, I left at 9h. I must have been really tired, I missed a turn and walked into the wrong direction for 1km.

More hikers on the track today.

1130h I made it to Pelion Gap, a pass next to Tasmania’s highest mountain Mount Ossa (1614m). Had a longer chat with a nice Australian couple there that also planned to continue on the track instead of doing the side tour to the peak. They had lots of ideas for our itinerary in Australia during the next months of our sabbatical.

Around 1230h I made it to Kia Ora hut at km41. Another amazing hut with the same modern architecture like the first Waterfall Valley hut. I laid down in the shade, ate some snacks and relaxed. I topped up my water and lefts around 1330h.

Today I am skipping a hut, aiming for Windy Ridge hut instead. It’s a pity… Also Kira Ora looked great. Fantastic views from the porch, super cool architecture, great facilities. Also the tent platforms had a great view into the valley.

At 1415h I took another short stop at the historic Du Cane hut at km43.

Taking it really slow this afternoon. Feels I am not driven anymore to hike fast. My plan is clear, today a total of about 18km, tomorrow just 10km to the Narcissus hut at Lake St Clair. There I want to celebrate with a swim in the lake. Then the last stretch along the lake with 16km to make it to our meeting point in the town Lake St Clair. I am at ease.

And I am getting tired. Another break at 1530h, probably another hour and a half to my destination today.

Finally made it to the hut at 5pm. I am really exhausted today. The first hiking day where I am seriously tired by the end of the day.

Pitched my tent on a platform and got it setup. Had a nice dinner in the hut together with an Australian couple from Tasmania. I told them about our family sabbatical, they shared some ideas for our travels in Australia.

Got into the sleeping bag at 1900h. For for a better sleep than last night. I had had so many interruptions that the sleep was not a good recovery. Maybe a reason why I am so exhausted today. Will sleep with earplugs.

Overland Track – Day 4 – March 17th

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From Windy Ridge to Echo Point

This night was better, I am glad. Probably the ear plus had helped. While I awoke again with the first light around 7h, I managed to rest more until 8h.

Most hikers had finished their breakfast already in a rush to catch the 13h ferry at Narcissus hut, 10km from here. I had intended to do a small day today and only hike to Narcissus, spend the rest of the day resting and maybe swimming. The last leg along the lake would then be another 16km. But the weather forecast for tomorrow is some rain. I was chatting with an older couple who had done the OT (Overland Track) already several times. They highly recommended to skip Narcissus and go to Echo Point instead, about half way down the lake already. Since the track is supposed to be easy today, I plan to also head for Echo Point then.

Left camp at 9h despite my late start, made pretty good progress. The track is for the most part easy. Less rocks and roots compared to the day before.

Had small water stops more or less every hour. The track stays relatively easy, making good progress.

This Overland Track is a nice experience. If I try to find one thing to complain about, it is maybe that I didn’t really spot much wildlife. While I was planning these lines while walking, I finally spotted a pademellon. Even two within minutes, however always hidden behind bushes that I could not really snap a photo.

This makes overall one snake, two wombats and two pademellons spotted, one Tasmanian devil heard… Countless lizards and even more black birds. Their crawing is accompanying me throughout the whole track.

Another two pademellons before I arrived at 12h at Narcissus hut. As anticipated, that hut was really full. The porch was fully taken by hikers resting either waiting for the ferry or continuing along the lake’s shore like me.

The ferry jetty was a good spot to rest by myself for about 5 minutes… Then everyone from the hut moved down to the jetty. Most were celebrating their track completion with a jump of the jetty into the cold lake St Clair.

I pushed on the remaining 6km… They turned out slower than I had anticipated. It was not a stroll along the shore but lots of roots to be scrambled. I came along a limping hiker without pack. She had twisted her ankle but had friends in her group that carried the backpack for her.

Made it to Echo Point around 1530h. The hut is not much, but the setting is very beautiful.

There were a few tent spots in the woods around the hut, but also a few directly at the beach. It doesn’t feel very smart, but I pitched at the beach anyway. Hope there will not be water seeping through the floor.

After contemplating this for too long, I moved the tent to a safer spot still at the shore…

And after that, it was time to take a short swim to celebrate the near completion of the hike! Pretty cold, but also very refreshing after 4 days sweating in multiple layers of sun screen.

Now I am just happily waiting for my food to get ready…

Tomorrow is gonna be a last 10km to the visitor center in Lake St Clair where Gosia will pick me up with our girls.

Very much looking forward to that moment.

Overland Track – Day 5 – March 18th

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From Echo Point to Lake St Clair, km 76

I had a good night sleep and woke up with dawn a bit before 7h.

The sun was still behind the horizon. I followed it rise while I packed my stuff and ate breakfast.

Started walking at 8.15h already – can’t wait to see Gosia and the kids in 10km.

With just two small water stops, I made good progress. The track today was a mixed bag. Right after Echo Point, there was a lot of root scrambling again. But then there were also more and more easy stretches. I made it to the visitor center to complete my Overland Track hike at 1130h.

I am very thankful for this experience. Gosia managed to not only find this track for me but also encouraged me to take this time for myself during our family sabbatical.

If you love something, set it free

Thank you very much for this freedom you give me!