The Overland Track, Tasmania: 5 Reasons it's become one of my top hikes

I had never really considered rating and listing past trails and trips, each one for me an adventure into a new part of the world, normally. Then I stumbled across besthikes blog, that not only states the best multi day in the world, but list's them into a top ten bucket list. This is where I was introduced to the Overland Track and since we were down in this corner of the world, it was the perfect opportunity to take a trip over to Tasmania.

Being the first multi day walk in Australia for me, I had an open mind and no pre judgements for the tenth best walk in the world. Luckily for me, it was an amazing trip. It was clear that a number of factors contributed to making this an awesome trip, but I believe the five reasons below took a good trip to the next level.

•The Unique Landscape

The dolerite mountain tops of the cradle mountain national park have a very unique stature. I was blown away by the tall dominating rock towers, rising out of the green bush that rolls around their bases. The dark towers that were formed by heat and pressure a few millennia ago, textured by columns and pinnacles, that would have been surrounded by glaciers during the ice age, which carved the surrounding bushland into rolling hills, deep U shaped valleys and extensive plateau's.

Looking down towards dove lake car park

Dove lake 

Mt Oakleigh

Looking down on the pinnacles

Looking down the gully on Mt Ossa

•The Possible Side Trips

On top of the 80km trail, The Overland Track offers a range of side trips to complement the adventure. Varying from tracks to the summits of some of the dolerite towers, including the tallest mountain in Tasmania; Mt Ossa, ventures to viewing platforms of impressive waterfalls, peaceful alpine lakes and to top it off, it even has a whole valley to explore, which in itself has more side trips to summits and hidden plateau's. I almost felt like a kid in a candy shop, with at least one side trip for every day. I'll have to admit that I found it near impossible to walk past some of the cloud covered summits without tackling their trails.

Barn Bluff summit

The steep scramble on Mt Ossa gully

The full and impressive D'Anton waterfall

•The Wildlife

With Tasmania being detached from mainland Australia, it has a number of endemic animals, with the most famous being the Tasmanian Devil. Although we didn't see the shy and nocturnal devil, we did stumble across some sort of bone filled scat and due to our lack of knowledge in all poo related matters, we decided that it almost certainly was devil poo, or maybe even the traces of a thought to be extinct, Tasmanian Tiger. Although we didn't see any devil's, the range of furry and seemingly exotic critters was more than enough to captivate an English hiker like myself. Our trip was filled with Black Currawongs (crows), that can raid zipped pockets and possums that are so chilled you can practically stroke them (touching one's tail counts as petting... right?). Then you have the nonchalant wombats and the erratic wallabies that seem to appear from nowhere and everywhere.

Wombat

Black Currawong

Wallaby

Possums

•The People

Heading on to the track a few weeks before the summer booking finished meant that there were only six others who started the same day as us. Compared to the maximum capacity of sixty four, we knew it was going to be a quiet trip. Even though it was a quiet trip, because most people tend to plan the same days and use the same huts, we had six days to get to know the people who shared the trail with us. From six people, there were three nationalities from all around the world. It's easy to image the multi cultural experience the trip would offer in summer, with comradery against the weather, a wealth of trail tales and a variety of new card games to learn.

Clear weather on the start day

Lucy on the chains

•The Detachment

Everyone likes a bit of escape from their work, routines and modern life, be it a spa retreat, beach break or yoga classes, but the Overland Track hands out a whole new form of detachment from the modern world. Just like any adventure where you carry everything you'll need for the foreseeable future on your back, the Overland tops off the experience with no man made infrastructure (except from the huts and trail) in sight, no light pollution and a very real sense of being in the back of beyond. The renewed sense of clarity as I stepped off the ferry, back into civilisation and in front of a bowl of chips was a very satisfying moment.

Steps in the woods

Filling the water bottle

Our last night accommodation (shame there was no heater)

The walkway to the ferry jetty and our way out back to civilisation

The Whitby lucky duck on top of Mt Ossa

Mt Ruapehu: New Zealand's tallest Volcano

Plodding along Dome ridge

Our last mountainous adventure in New Zealand couldn't have been better. This was our last volcano to conquer on North Island, and it also happened to be the highest. Even though the Southern Alps has the biggest mountains NZ has to offer, Mt Ruapehu, which stands at 2797m, was the highest hill we explored in NZ.

The day after finishing the three day Tongariro Northern Circuit, the perfect weather window appeared on the forecast. There was simply no time to rest and recover, we had a volcano to climb.

Catching the chairlift up

The ascent of the highest mountain on NZ North Island is actually quite modest at only around 800 metres of ascent. This is of course if you catch the chairlift up to 2000m, and having finished the circuit the day before we would have been foolish not to take advantage of this resource. I can say that my leg's definitely thanked me afterwards and I would have been nothing short of broken if we'd walked all the way up.

Shallow gully before Dome ridge

With the dusting of snow the week before, the mountain was transformed into a beautiful winter adventure. The snow made for quick and easy ascending up the gully that led to the sharp Dome ridge.

Looking across the summit plateau

Gaining the summit plateau as the cloud moved in below us, we were treated to another view across the tops of the clouds with the peaks still glistening above us. The view around the crater lake was sublime. There was a deep contrast from the cold white snow and the steaming emerald lake, but our day wasn't finished there. The true summit stood on the other side of the lake than the tourist track and it was time to venture from the track.

View across to Mt Taranaki

View from below our high point, the mound in centre shot is the end of the tourist track

Although the only people to be wearing crampons that day was us and a DOC ranger, we were so happy with our decision as the steep ice slopes onto the glacier was no place to be slipping. The romp across the tiny glacier and starting ridge was plain sailing, but when we neared the summit of the first peak we had to stop and reassess the conditions.

It was a warm day, the sun was beating down, there was little to no wind and the snow was suffering. Rime ice that had been plastered onto the rock was warming and melting, the snow was the consistency of boiled butter and things were starting to tumble down the hill side. Knowing that we had a knife edge ridge to traverse in warm Temp's and our turnaround time on the near horizon, we called it a day at 2680m.

Romping back across the glacier

Although we didn't stand next to the highest point on North Island, the day was a perfect end to our mountainous adventures of New Zealand. It really is the land of the long white cloud, and has so many hills and mountain range's that you would need a really big stick to poke them all.

Our New Zealand summer alpine starts here; Beasting on Brewster.

Having our days off aligned again, we decided to wander up to Mt Brewster to see what condition the mountain was in, with the hope to climb a chimney on the north side or the classic south west face. On top of the obvious summit challenge we wanted to get a photo for the Christmas cards to send to family and try and see the meteor shower we heard on the news.

Driving along the Haast pass road with towering valley walls reminded me of the walks we did in the glacier carved fiordland, right until we saw Mt Brewster perched over 2000 metres above us and covered in what looked like loads of snow, then I remembered this time, we're going to the top! 2 kilometres and 1000 metres of ascent guard the popular Brewster hut. Climbing the tree rooted path through beech forest in temperatures of the high teens, we started to feel the effects of the 45 hour work weeks, but planned our hydration points and soon found ourselves marveling at the view across the Southern Alps.

Enjoying the Alps

Having chat's with folks returning from a night at Brewster Hut, told us of the busy night they had of 20 people and only 12 bunks, leaving people to sleep on the deck outside with the Kea's as 5am alarm clocks... They also told us of 2 climbing parties who had been forced to turn around due to soft snow and cornices and that there was a party who was giving it a go that day. Although I've learnt to take information gained from folks on the hill with a pinch of salt, this information coupled with the amount of snow we'd already seen started the bubbling feeling from my stomach of 'this isn't going to be as straightforward as we first thought'. Lucy however, seemed to be happy in the thought that she wasn't drafted for work and that she was out on an adventure no matter what.

Camping high in the hills is always a special event; mountain visa's, escapism and the chance of a light free star kissed sky. Our 1900 metre spot was no different; a glacier, countless summits and never ending skies, gave this spot the wow factor. It felt so raw, that the whole camping experience felt as if I was camping in the hills for the first time again. As I became accustomed to camping again and after we filled our belly's with the normal camping food, we started to replan the next day. Having spoke to the climbers who reached the summit that day after a 12 hour climb and descent (not including the 5 hour walk down) we decided that we would err on the side of caution and decided that the less committing west ridge would be our best option for this trip and fell asleep with the warm sun still beating down on us, ready for an early start.

Camp spot

With the warmer summer alpine temperatures comes the beauty of early alpine start's. 3am rolls around and the stars are out and a chill is in the air. Unfortunately, my quarter-assed attempt at photographing the sky, mountains and camp spot whilst packing down and cooking breakfast resulted in poor photos. Even with a full assed attempt, I still think the photos wouldn't do the star's justice. Millions of star's scattered the sky from horizon to horizon, with a denser band running straight over head showing off the impressive Milky way. Having the perception to reach out and touch the star's only enhanced the surreal experience of traversing towards Mt Brewster.

Across the glacier

Tramping across the glacier as dawn broke on the mountains was a refreshing experience, away from work, Wanaka business and the general everyday life, this was our weekend and this was why we came to New Zealand.

After four hours we reached a spot height of 2200 metres and realised we had a decision to make, commit another few hours to get to the summit and accept the long day ahead or take the conservative option and snap the Christmas card shot there and cherish the experiences so far away from the all too familiar summit fever.

All I can say is that after 12 hours on the go we arrived back at the car having picked the conservative option.... and finally made it back in time to scoff some food and shower before falling asleep.

Our high spot

Even though we didn't reach the summit, or even get on the climbing route we wanted, we still had a fantastic weekend less than 2 hours drive from Wanaka. Despite the slight regret for not committing, we're still fired up and ready for the next alpine adventure.

Wanaka Weekend Warriors

Roy's Peak track

We knew the moment would come. The moment when we stop playing everyday, find a job and settle down for a few months to earn some money. Two days after completing the Routeburn and Caples circuit and the weather looking horrific for the foreseeable future, we had our moment, we decided to look for jobs and a room and now, three weeks later we can officially call ourselves weekend warriors again.

After a few days in and around Wanaka, we knew when the moment came, Wanaka would be the place to periodically settle down. With a lifetime of walking, mountaineering and climbing within 2 hours of driving we spent most of our first week sport climbing, broken up with job interviews and room viewings.

Jobs were sorted fairly quickly with a lot of shops taking on summer/Christmas employees, but rooms seemed to go like hot cakes! Three nice room viewings and they all went the same day. After missing out on the chance of living with a crazy cat woman, we started to think we would spent the rest of the summer in the tent and even started to plan how to make the tent as comfortable as possible. But then a house that we were waiting on got back in touch and we had a room! Away from town, next to the climbing wall and great views across Lake Wanaka, the gods had aligned again.

So two weeks in and we're saving money, trail running in our spare time and warrioring it out on the weekends.

So far we've popped up Roy's peak, done some more sport climbing and I've had a mad one man mission up Mt Tyndall as Lucy had to work. But with an ever growing list of climbs, peak, tracks and trails, our weekends will be booked up with playing for the foreseeable future.

The appoarch valley to some of the treasures of Aspiring national park

As we descend back into weekend warriors, we hope that the weather will sort itself out, as a stormy spring has decided to plague the Alps. Snow down to 600m, strong winds and the occasional superheated day, mixes to form; weather watching, last minute decisions and praying. But this is all the fun of becoming a Wanaka Weekend Warrior, a skill we hope to master in the coming months.

Mt Aspiring from the start of Mt Tyndall's north ridge

The Kepler Track; An adventure above the clouds

The Kepler Track is a 64km 'Great Walk' circuit on the fringe of New Zealand's Fiordland. It explores native beech forest, sandy lake shores and stunning alpine scenery. It was originally built to take pressure off the nearby Milford and Routeburn tracks but instead has turned into an easily accessible classic trip. You can run it, tent it, winter it or even day trip some of it. This is a super friendly track, which we decided to do in three days.

Two days after we had finished the Milford Track and we were again packing our bags for another 'Great Walk'. Once we had dried and sorted our kit, we knew this time was going to be different, this time we had clear skies and light winds forecasted. So with all our normal kit sorted I managed to convince Lucy that a bottle of wine was also essential.

Kiwi's!

 The 13.8km and 700m of ascent soon fell away to 4 hours of walking. The journey from road, to beech trees, to alpine tussocks seems to be becoming a familiar trend through NZ, but they always seem to give enjoyment and interest. We arrived at Luxmore hut in the early afternoon and settled in quickly. Luxmore hut coupled with the good weather forecast was my personal reason for buying into this 'Great Walk'. Being sat at 1080m and above the tree line, the views from the kitchen window are spectacular, with views of lake Te Anau and the Southern Alps.

Fern

Path to Peaks?

Stairs to Lake

Gap in the trees

Afternoon entertainment at Luxmore hut comes in the form of a limestone cave only ten minutes walk away. Being two of the first up to the hut that day meant we had the cave to ourselves and gave us the perfect opportunity for some cave photography. We weren't expecting too much compared to the Yorkshire pot holes and after a few tighter bits which had to be stooped and some photos we were content with our brief explore and returned to the warmth of the sun, this is earthquake country after all.

Cave entrance

Flow stone

Creepy flowstone

Meeting up at the hut with two doctors we walked with on the Milford Track, really highlighted the social aspect of NZ's Great Walks. Crisps, dips and wine on the huts balcony made for a fantastic night on top of admiring the view down to the lake and Te Anau flatter farm lands.
A clear forecast and a hut at 1080m, who could resist watching the sunrise? 6am and very cold feet, led us up the steps to the rise behind the hut and views across Te Anua and a beautifully coloured sky. Vibrant purple, mixed with a deep blue sky, framed by the dark valley and high clouds, gave a spiritual start to the day, quickly followed by a quick nap.

Lucky duck watching sunrise

Sunrise

Day break

The folks down at the Department Of Conservation (DOC) described the second day as six hours across the exposed tops and with our weather we didn't want a minute less. Big views across the seamlessly endless Lake Te Anau, a 10min summit detour and a cheeky Kea that stopped Lucy from using one of the shelter toliets, gave an unforgettable day across the alpine tops. The almost  first choice of beds meant we got a great corner all to ourselves and after the longest hut chat we've experienced (40mins) we took to Iris Burn falls for some night photography. A cracker of a day which we were sad to see end, especially as we knew the next day was going to be a long one.

Stairway to heaven

Big views

Clearing clouds

The cheeky Kea that stopped Lucy from using the loo

Haast eagle...?

Skyline

Iris Burn Falls

Stream

Bank and stream

From the Iris Burn hut back to the Control gates car park is 32km of fairly flat track, so we decided to make this our last day. We knew that we couldn't hang around as we wanted to finish in enough time to relax at the campsite before passing out. Although we had a good pace, we found it hard not to stop and soak in the amazing views at the spaced clearings. Lunch and a brief encounter of the ranger at Monturau hut and we knew it was time to move on, sightly jealous of the fun our Israeli friends would have at the hut chat that night. Despite what crazy old mountain runners say, I can definitely understand why people describe the last bit as 'the boring bit', 16km of flat winding track that in the end, I was glad I did. Suspension bridges, nice little views and the most important, the overall sense of achievement and completion.

Beach time

We chose to do the Kepler Track the day before we started it, when we knew we would have nice weather and the nice company of the lads we had already met. This coupled with the fantastic position of the track across the tops, made this trip one that seemed to nudge the recent wet memories of the Milford out of our minds. The Kepler has been a top NZ hiking experience for us and has created a very tough pedestal for the next adventure. The brochure claimed to deliver an adventure above the clouds and I am happy to say that it has lived up to its claim.

The long path home