Tasmania: The Overland Track

The Overland Track

Cradle Mountain National Park

We travelled to Cradle Mountain in January, 2022 and spent a day hiking around the lake. I was awestruck by the beauty of the area and I have to say I was quite intrigued about the Overland Track after we drove past the sign.

Images: Cradle Mountain - photo is my own

The Overland Track information

“The Overland track is more than a walk. It’s an extraordinary journey through the heart of the Tasmanian wilderness world Heritage area. The most people the walk takes six days covering a total distance of either 65 km from Ronny Creek to the Narcissus ferry or 78 km through Cynthia Bay at the Lake StClair Visitor Centre“.

What makes this walk unique is that you journey through a rugged glaciated landscape of mountains, lakes, rainforests, waterfalls, moorlands and alpine heath. This area is continuously being shaped and reshaped, from the weathering from ice to rain and wind.

Equipment List - that you MUST carry!

- Large, waterproof hiking pack (plus pack liner)
- Tent (3-4 season rated with an inner and outer layer)
- Sleeping bag and inner sheet (rated to at least 0°C for coastal areas and -10°C for alpine areas)
- Sleeping mat

Clothing List

- Waterproof rain jacket
- Quick-dry walking clothes (long sleeve merino shirt, 1 pair pants with zippers to create shorts. Icebreaker jacket, Macpac duck down jacket, two t shirts, 3 pairs undies, sports bra
Camp clothes in waterproof bag: Icebreaker pants, icebreaker thermal top. Thongs

Other items

• Toilet trowel and toilet paper
• Basic personal toiletries: toothpaste, toothbrush, face wash, deodorant, toilet paper.
• Antibacterial gel
• PLB (personal locator beacon)
• Map (mobile phones cannot be relied on in remote areas and a printed map is a necessity)
• Fuel stove and fuel Lighter and matches
• Food (lightweight, energy-dense, remove excess packaging)
• Cooking and eating utensils
• Water bottle(s) or bladder, capable of carrying 2-3 litres Torch / head-torch and spare batteries

Later note: I’ve hired a single-person Goondie tent from Wild Island Adventure Hire. For one week it’s costing me $119.00. For me, this a no-brainer as the cost to buy a tent like this is over $800. The tent is an all-season tent and is ideal for this environment, given the unpredictability of the weather.