The fist night in the tent was at Lake Windermere, and it was a cold one. At a couple of degrees below zero, there was frost on the tents and on the chicken-wire tread of the boardwalks. In some ways I regretted leaving my boots and socks to dry in the hut overnight – the 200m walk to retrieve them was… refreshing

I didn’t do a lot of swimming on the Overland Track, but I’m told the pool at the base of D’Alton Falls is one of the best places for it. It was a bit slippery getting down, but all the injuries among the group were relatively minor. The shockingly cold water was good for sore joints and pulled muscles anyway. This view is not of the falls (obviously), but looking the other way down the gorge. Dark, damp and mossy, it was very different from the other two visited on the day.

Mt Oakleigh is the peak in the centre with the jagged pinnacles. It’s quite the distinctive feature from the time it appears in the distance near Lake Willis until it disappears after crossing Pelion Gap. The climb to the top has a bit of everything: suspension bridge, mossy rainforest, steep athletic climb, rocky traverse, and bog crossing. The bog, in daylight, was a joy to cross; spongy underfoot with a clear dry trail through the middle. We would learn later that, in the dark, it becomes a featureless plain to the eyes and a feature-filld maze of sinkholes and streams for the feet.

After a steep, sweaty climb to the top of Mt Oakleigh there was a bit of a wait before sunset. An endorphin-stripping breeze was pushing the clouds away, but the usual Australian eucalypt haze created some interesting shafts of light. Most of the sunset action happened at the horizon – a bit of a disappointment after the hard slog to the top – but there was plenty else to see.

Day Turns to Night Over the Forth Valley

I’ve made two trips to Tasmania now, with a total of 4 days on which to get to the summit of Cradle Mountain. I’ve spent two afternoons drying out in Kitchen Hut waiting for the weather to clear and still have nothing to show for it. This view could very well be toward Cradle – I wouldn’t know! At least weather sealing let me have some fun with the camera in the heavy fog and drizzle.

Wet on the Cradle Plateau

Assuming you’re not Canadian and 18-60, my naming of a wild wallaby may seem, at best, out of character. Thanks to a certain “children’s troubadour” however, every wallaby I’ve seen in this country looks like a Willoughby to me.

Willoughby the wallaby and friends were a constant feature around the Waterfall Hut. They’re pretty tame, but not aggressive in looking for food. I guess most walkers, worried about starving themselves, are well-behaved when it comes to feeding local wildlife. Not sure how Willoughby would like a freeze-dried Ramen Bolognese anyway…

Willoughby Wallaby