Overland Track

Scorparia is a common plant that lines the trail

The Overland Track
Track passing by Kitchen Hut west of Cradle Mountain
Length 65 km (40 mi)
Location Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, Tasmania, Australia
Established 1931–1935
Designation
Trailheads
Use Hiking
Elevation
Highest point Alpine plateau between Marions Lookout and Kitchen Hut, 720 m (2,360 ft)
Lowest point Forth River crossing, 720 m (2,360 ft)
Hiking details
Season All
Sights Mountains, lakes, rivers, waterfalls, wildlife
Hazards Hypothermia, snakebites, cliffs
Map of The Overland Track
The Overland Tack, marked in red, with Cradle Mountain in the north and Lake St Clair in the south.

The Overland Track is one of Australia's most famous hiking tracks, situated in the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, Tasmania. More than nine thousand walkers each year complete the track.[1] Officially, the track runs for 65 kilometres (40 mi) from Cradle Mountain to Lake St Clair. However, many choose to add the hike along Lake St Clair as a natural extension, bringing the length to 82 kilometres (51 mi). The track winds through terrain ranging from sheer mountains, temperate rainforest, wild rivers and alpine plains all in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.

Aside from the main track there are also several alternative side tracks, including to the summits of Cradle Mountain and Mount Ossa, the tallest mountain in Tasmania. Also within reach are a group of tarns called The Labyrinth and Lake St Clair (the deepest lake in Australia).[2] World-renowned for its pristine environment and beauty, the walk is listed by Lonely Planet as one of the best in the world.[3]

Overland Track is listed as the number one hike in Australia by CNN Travel where walkers can trek on their own, independently, but using the guided walk operators is recommended. Of the many sightings, it also consist of two rocky towers that are nicknamed as "The Gates of Mordor" after the dire place in The Lord of the Rings.[4]

Walkers usually complete the track in five or six days. This is normally done from north to south, which is the mandatory direction between 1 October and 31 May. The record time is 7 hours and 25 minutes, achieved by Andy Kromar during the Cradle Mountain Run.[5]

History

Europeans first explored Cradle Mountain and Lake St Clair in the 1820s, and prospectors and hunters continued to explore the area well into the twentieth century. It was not until 1931 that fur trapper Bert Nichols blazed the Overland Track and by 1935 it was consolidated and used by independent walking parties.[6]

Natural features

The landscape was all carved by glaciers during the last ice age, and the prominent mountains are composed of dolerite columns. The climate is generally unstable, with temperatures ranging from hot (in excess of 35 °C (95 °F)) in summer to below 0 °C (32 °F) in winter. Snow can fall at any time and is common during the winter, especially on the Cradle Mountain Plateau and around Mount Ossa. Rain is very common, sometimes torrential though often settling to days of drizzle.

The most common fauna are Tasmanian Pademelons (native), possums and small rodents most of which are native. Also decidedly present, but not necessarily seen, are quolls, echidnas, tasmanian devils and wombats. There are also the famous Tasmanian leeches.[7] The track traverses areas of many types of vegetation, including Myrtle Beech forest, Eucalypts forest, Button Grass plains (swamps), alpine herb fields and shrubs and mosses.

The Pelion Range from Mt Oakleigh

Sights

The Overland Track contains some spectacular scenery created by glacier action.

Walking

The track is mostly well defined and adequately marked. The track condition however varies greatly. There are long sections of duckboard (boardwalk) which consist of split logs embedded in the ground, held together with wire and nails. Where there is no duckboard, the conditions can sometimes be very muddy. In winter, the mud is frozen solid early in the morning, however offsetting this is the problem of slippery ice on the duckboard. The mud is not nearly as frequent or deep as hikes in the south west, due mainly to the duckboard.

Inexperienced walkers are advised to undertake the walk in summer, when the days are longer and the weather milder. During this time the number of visitors is controlled by the 'Overland Pass' a limited number of which are available, with revenue going towards maintaining the track.[8] The walk is not challenging provided that walkers are adequately prepared with proper equipment. The track is covered by the Tasmap Cradle Mountain – Lake St Clair 1:100000 map.

Location in Tasmania

Side Tracks

There are a number of side trips that can be undertaken while on the Overland Track. From north to south these are:[9]

Huts

The track has many huts, enabling hikers to stay indoors every night. There is no booking system for huts, so it is mandatory for hikers to carry a tent in case there is no space available or there is an incident on the track. Commercial groups are not encouraged to use the huts overnight and while one company operates from a set of five private huts, all other operators use the designated group camping areas near each of the main huts.

Main Trail Huts

NameLocation
Waterfall Valley Hut41°42′53″S 145°56′49″E / 41.71472°S 145.94694°E / -41.71472; 145.94694 (Waterfall Valley Hut)
Windermere Hut41°46′18″S 145°57′23″E / 41.77167°S 145.95639°E / -41.77167; 145.95639 (Windermere Hut)
New Pelion Hut41°49′46″S 146°2′47″E / 41.82944°S 146.04639°E / -41.82944; 146.04639 (New Pelion Hut)
Kia Ora Hut41°53′32″S 146°4′53″E / 41.89222°S 146.08139°E / -41.89222; 146.08139 (Kia Ora Hut)
Burt Nichols Hut41°55′56″S 146°5′20″E / 41.93222°S 146.08889°E / -41.93222; 146.08889 (Windy Ridge Hut)
Narcissus Hut42°0′45″S 146°6′6″E / 42.01250°S 146.10167°E / -42.01250; 146.10167 (Narcissus Hut)
Echo Point Hut42°2′37″S 146°8′17″E / 42.04361°S 146.13806°E / -42.04361; 146.13806 (Echo Point Hut)

Side Route Huts

NameLocation
Pine Valley Hut41°57′31″S 146°3′48″E / 41.95861°S 146.06333°E / -41.95861; 146.06333 (Pine Valley Hut)
Scott-Kilvert Memorial Hut41°41′33″S 145°57′56″E / 41.69250°S 145.96556°E / -41.69250; 145.96556 (Scott-Kilvert Memorial Hut)

Day Use and Emergency shelters

Overnight use of these is prohibited except in an emergency

NameLocation
Kitchen Hut41°40′32.7″S 145°56′46″E / 41.675750°S 145.94611°E / -41.675750; 145.94611 (Kitchen Hut)
Rangers Hut41°40′21″S 145°57′56″E / 41.67250°S 145.96556°E / -41.67250; 145.96556 (Rangers Hut)
Du Cane Hut41°54′17″S 146°6′8″E / 41.90472°S 146.10222°E / -41.90472; 146.10222 (Du Cane Hut)
Old Pelion Hut41°49′34″S 146°2′9″E / 41.82611°S 146.03583°E / -41.82611; 146.03583 (Old Pelion Hut)

References

  1. ↑ Bhole, Aneeta. "Overland Track hikers told to be prepared as thousands book for six-day walk". ABC News. Australia. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  2. ↑ Lake Saint Clair (lake, Tasmania, Australia) :: Related Links – Britannica Online Encyclopedia
  3. ↑ "The 10 best treks in the world". Lonely Planet. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  4. ↑ "10 great hikes in Australia". CNN Travel. 12 July 2017. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  5. ↑ "Cradle Mountain Run". Australian Ultra Runners Association. Retrieved 27 March 2007.
  6. ↑ Bain, Andrew; et al. (2006). Walking in Australia (5 ed.). Lonely Planet. pp. 214–228. ISBN 1-74059-310-3.
  7. ↑ Cradle Mountain National Park
  8. ↑ "Overland Track Booking". Parks and Wildlife Service Tasmania. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  9. ↑ "Cradle Mountain Lake St Clair National Park Map". Information and Land Services: Tasmanian Department of Primary Industries and Water. 2005.
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