My time on the Overland Track was everything I could have hoped for. There was a good variety of weather, lots of friendly people, and views galore. I even popped two hiking cherries: I lost a toe nail and got super excited about trail mix.
When I hopped on the shuttle to the trail head I wasn’t nervous at all. In fact, I was excited to see if 6 days on the trail would wear me down or invigorate me. People on the shuttle asked me “are you hiking all by yourself?” Why yes I am, and I can’t wait to get started!
If you’re looking for tips and tricks on how to hike the Overland Track yourself I made a post specifically for planning here.
Day 1
The shuttle dropped us off at the trail head and I waited a few minutes for people to disperse. After registering in the logbook I enthusiastically began my hike. The Overland Track begins on nice boardwalk through buttongrass before it quickly changes into temperate rainforest. There is a perfectly placed bench next to a waterfall 1/2 kilometer in. It’s just the right spot to take off layers and do that start-of-hike fiddling of gear.
The first highlight of the Overland Track is Crater Lake, a dark blue lake with a backdrop of sheer mountain wall. There is an old hut which looks across the water and gives shelter from the sun for a snack break. The slopes surrounding the lake are so perfectly chiseled they don’t even look real.
I caught up to other hikers and soon we were leapfrogging each other due to how often we stopped to take pictures. I can’t count how many times we commented on the beauty of the lake. Even the weather was just right – not too hot and not too cold. It was the perfect start to my Overland Track experience.
Crater Lake
At the far end of Crater Lake the trail turns vertical. There are ropes to assist with the climb and thankfully plenty of nice lookouts in case a break is needed (one was definitely needed. maybe two). The ascent doesn’t last for very long but it is steep enough to merit a reward at the top. The trail leads to Marions Lookout which provides great views of Dove Lake and the first glimpse of Cradle Mountain.
Walking onward the trail meanders across beautiful grass meadows full of lakes and gorgeous views of Cradle Mountain. As I walked towards Kitchen Hut I mentally prepared myself for the challenge of climbing this bad boy. It looked steep and dangerous, but it also looked like loads of fun.
Just before the junction for Cradle Mountain is picturesque little Kitchen Hut. This is an emergency shelter but it is also a good place to store your backpack while climbing the mountain. The Currawongs are smart birds and know how to get into your pack for snacks. Unless you hate your trail mix it’s better to store your backpack in the hut.
Cradle Mountain was the one side trip I knew I wanted to do. It was cool and cloudy on the way up which was great for such a steep climb. There is a big false peak (thankfully I was warned by a ranger), and the front of Cradle Mountain is only half way. As I was coming down one couple asked if they were almost to the top. Unfortunately I had to tell them they were barely half way there.
The hike is steep but the rocks are pretty stable. There are poles marking the trail which are easy to follow. At the top of the false peak the trail suddenly drops down before it goes back up to the true peak. I thought this last part was the most challenging because there are some difficult boulders to scramble up. The views at the top were well worth the effort and I admired the landscape I would spend the next six days hiking.
Cradle Mountain Peak
On the way back down my knees got achy and I took a break overlooking Dove Lake. I pulled out a bag of trail mix and realized this was the best bag of trail mix ever! (it’s mildy embarrassing that I got so excited about it but I really wanted to share my discovery with someone). Almonds, cranberries, dark chocolate chucks, and golden raisins composed this perfect bag of trail mix. It was my baby for the rest of the trip and was only consumed during the most emotionally tiring times.
Barn Bluff
The rest of the day is easy hiking. The trail flattens and turns away from Cradle Mountain, offering incredible views of Barn Bluff and the next valley over. The trail descends for the last kilometer into Waterfall Valley, my favorite camp on the Overland Track. The hut looks over Barn Bluff and a grassy field with tons of wildlife. The sunset was beautiful and I will remember this evening for some time to come.
There was also a “devil bird,” who would run up behind people and attack them when their backs were turned. Of course the second you turn around the “devil bird” would casually walk away as if nothing had happened. Suspect…
Day 2
Fellow hikers informed me that views from Barn Bluff were awesome, so I decided to extend my 7.8km day and backtrack to the mountain. Unfortunately I woke up to a foggy Barn Bluff, but for lack of a better way to spend my day I tried my luck and climbed it anyway. The piece of advice I’d received was “if the cairns disappear just look directly up.” I took the advice and it worked every time.
Barn Bluff in Fog
The climb up Barn Bluff is shorter than Cradle mountain but it’s more difficult. The rocks aren’t as sturdy and tend to wobble, and the trail is marked by cairns which are easy to lose sight of. When I reached the summit the mountain was still covered in fog and there were no views. But patience is a virtue and after a half hour the fog began to lift. I was surprised by the amount of lakes sprinkled throughout the surrounding landscape. I even got a view into the canyon I had caught a glimpse of yesterday.
It was an uneventful climb down and I felt proud of myself for hiking both Cradle Mountain and Barn Bluff in two days. As I was enthusiastically walking towards the junction of Waterfall Valley it started to rain. Soon it was pouring cats and dogs so I nervously quickened my pace. Waterfall Valley Hut came into view and suddenly it began to hail.
I had a hot lunch in the hut and chatted with other hikers who had come. The moment the rain stopped I left for Windemere Hut because I still had 7.8km to go, as well as a side trip to Lake Will. Although cloudy, the views were amazing and I caught glimpses of the next set of mountains I would wander through. There was enough time to make the side trip to Lake Will, although it wasn’t worth it because it started to rain again.
Lake Will
During the last 2 kilometers the trail slopes down and makes its way to Lake Windemere. I zipped quickly around the lake and was greeted by a cozy hut. It had been a long day and after hot soup and dinner I went to bed by 8:30.
Lake Windemere and Mt Oakleigh
Day 3
I was greeted by a beautiful sunny day with fluffy white clouds drifting across a blue sky. The views couldn’t have been any better. After the first few kilometers Forth Valley Lookout was the perfect place to lap up some sun while looking over a beautiful valley. Although it was meant to be a quick 5 minute break, everyone seemed to get there at the same time and we got distracted exchanging hiking stories and stayed for about an hour.
After an easy walk over boardwalk and through button grass valleys the trail descends into temperate rainforest. The trail was very muddy and difficult because of the roots. This section lasted forever since I couldn’t just zone out and enjoy the scenery. I actually had to pay attention. The trail goes up and passes several little waterfalls before the hard part is over.
The trail opens up, and after a section of ascent, flattens into an easy stroll. I made good time and it was still early when I came to the junction for Old Pelion Hut. It was a beautiful day so I turned off the main trail towards the old hut. After I sat down for a snack I realized it was the perfect moment to do one of my favorite things – catnap in the sun.
After some precious moments of dozing off I made my way down to the river behind Old Pelion Hut. The boulders next to the river were warm and watching the water was relaxing. After a good hour of lounging around it was time to make the final push to Pelion Hut.
If a hut can be described as “grand,” this one certainly was. Pelion Hut boasts million dollar views and has beds for 36 people. After a full day of sunshine 6 o’clock rolled around and so did the rain. We passed the time tasting each other’s meals, sharing snacks, and playing card games. I didn’t go to bed until 10 that night, which is unheard of when I’m on the trail.
Pelion Hut
Day 4
The rain hadn’t stopped and was only getting worse. I would have liked to hike Mt Oakleigh that day but the weather was just too bad. I could have stayed another night but according the resident ranger the forecast wasn’t getting any better. I dressed for the rain and headed out.
The trail goes uphill for the first four kilometers before reaching Pelion Gap. This is supposed to be a highlight of the Overland Track but by this time it was snowing. Pelion Gap is the junction for Mt Ossa (the highest point in Tasmania) and Mt Pelion East, but both peaks were completely covered in clouds. I attempted Mt Pelion East because it’s short but after 10 minutes of sliding on sleet I decided it wasn’t worth it.
After beginning my descent from Pelion Gap the snow turned into rain. Today was a short day and I made it to Kia Ora Hut at 1pm. I realized I had absolutely nothing to do for the rest of the day. It was raining, it was cold, and nobody else was there. I curled up in my sleeping bag and napped until company came. An hour passed and other hikers started to trickle in. One pair had gone to the summit of Mt Pelion East but had seen nothing and dubbed it not worth it. Nobody had tried to summit Mt Ossa because that would have been stupid.
We spent the afternoon playing cards, drinking tea and hot cocoa, and (of course), talking about what everyone was going to have for dinner. It was Thanksgiving and I had saved my pumpkin pasta and pumpkin soup just for the occasion. I’m not a huge fan of pumpkin (unless it’s in pies), but I thought it fitting and any hiker will tell you everything tastes good on the trail. Yup, it was delicious.
Day 5
It rained all night and certainly didn’t stop in the morning. I set out unenthusiastically but kept reminding myself the weather had been amazing for 2 out of 4 days. It’s a lot more than some people get on the Overland Track.
There are three side trips on the way to Bert Nichols Hut and they are all waterfalls. The first two are well worth going to as they are big and individually different. The last one was a cumbersome 1.5 km hike through a ridiculous amount of mud and wasn’t very impressive. Walking back from the last waterfall the rain let up but it was still gloomy and depressing. I tried to be optimistic but the bad weather was getting me down.
D’Alton Falls
I made it to Bert Nichols Hut by 1pm, ate the rest of my awesome trail mix, and kicked up my cold, wet feet. The Overland Track had taught me that my waterproof boots weren’t actually waterproof. In fact, during last night’s dinner discussion nearly everyone had learned their waterproof boots weren’t waterproof.
After wallowing in my sorrows I was joined by 3 other hikers. We all agreed to skip this hut and continue to Narcissus for the night. I wasn’t keep on skipping a night on the Overland Track, but since my mood was low the last thing I wanted to do was sit around all day.
This last part of the trail is a slow descent with nothing interesting to report. There are no side trips except Pine Valley which is a full day’s extension. I put on some tunes and tried to keep my mood strong for the last part of the track. I made it to Narcissus, the last hut on the Overland Track, in no time and was greeted by a small break in the clouds.
It was a mellow night full of snack sharing and debates on whether to take the ferry or hike around the lake tomorrow. The four of us decided that since we had skipped a hut we would make the walk around the lake if the weather cooperated. It was the last night on the Overland Track, so while bittersweet, we enjoyed each other’s company and our last night together.
Day 6
According to the map it was a flat 17 km kilometers along the lake from Narcissus to the Lake St Clair Visitor’s Center. The fog broke by 8am and the sun was shining bright and early which motivated me to get moving.
I took it easy for the first hour to soak in the sun. I wasn’t the only one enjoying the weather and managed to see black cockatoos and a snake. Even though I was right next to the snake it didn’t seem care in the least. It was enjoying the sun as much as I was.
Due to my laziness I got to Echo Point Hut (a small, unofficial hut) later than anticipated. Even though the map described the trail around Lake St Clair as “flat,” this wasn’t completely accurate. The trail winds through temperate rainforest which means there are roots, mud, and logs aplenty. I was trying to catch the 12:45pm shuttle and didn’t have much time for a break, but Echo Point Hut was lovely. I even debated staying an extra night just to lounge around the dock because it was such a glorious day.
I decided to kick it into high gear and finish the trail. There were lots of huge logs covering the trail, which made for slow going, but maintenance crews were working hard to fix the problem. I even had a discussion with one of the crew about his experience on the John Muir Trail. What a small world.
There was a gap in the trees and a little path leading to the lake. It was such a beautiful day and I had to check out the view again. I looked out over the lake and saw the visitor’s center just a little further down. It couldn’t have been more than 2km away and it was only 10am. I took advantage of the extra time and parked myself on a log hovering over the lake and (you guessed it) took a cat nap in the sun.
By 11:30am I had made my way to the end of the trail. When I reached the Lake St Clair campground I took the opportunity to put on my sandals because my shoes were soaking wet. Two fellow hikers caught up to me and we got to finish the Overland Track together.
Everyone I’d met along the trail seemed to finish that same day. It was like a little reunion hearing people call my name and waving at me from the visitor’s center. Everyone gathered on sunny benches to talk about their experience. We all had a wonderful time even though there were several rainy and snowy days. Hiking the Overland Track was a great experience and I would recommend it to anybody willing to get their feet wet.
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