I flew this morning from Hobart to Sydney on the last leg of my Oz adventure. I fly to NZ next Monday.

I loved Tasmania - a place I could easily forget to leave. Arriving in the city of Hobart on Sunday evening was like returning to Devon! A lovely quiet little town.

I did a couple of days WWOOFing on Bruny Island there - weeding around olive trees, on a hillside overlooking Adventure Bay where Capns Cook and Bligh landed 200+ years ago.

I then headed into the wilderness to tackle the Overland Track. This is one of the world's top 10 long distance walks. For me it was the best week so far on my travels.  Starting at Cradle Mountain, carrying tent etc, stove, spare dry clothes, water, and food for 7 days I certainly felt the unfamiliar weight of my backpack (c.20kg) as I climbed the 10km on the first day. Then it started raining, then a ferocious wind got up, then my cold that started the previous day got worse, then one of my hiking poles snapped. There was no shelter from the wind and I did question my judgement in embarking upon such a venture! However, I made it to the overnight hut with a small gas stove for heat. Cup-a-soups can be delicious on such occasions.

When I got up at about 2.30am to go outside for a pee (thet have excellent composting bush loos in Oz), the skies had cleared. It was frosty and still, and the brilliant moonlight revealed a ring of mountains surrounding our camp.

 

For the next five days we enjoyed bright sunshine - exceptional good fortune. In total, with side treks including to the summit of Mt Ossa, the highest point of Tasmania I hiked 92km, including 20km on day 5 to miss out one hut and so reach Lake St Clare within my original schedule. I put my backpack on the ferry that crosses the lake, and walked its length along the shore - a 17km stroll on a mostly level path.

The birds, wallabies, wombats, quolls, snakes encountered on the track were fascinating, as was the changing levels from myrtle-beech, to temperate rainforest, through button-grass moorland to alpine pasture and mosses.

 

I met some wonderful people along the way - everyone was elated by the end of walk. After a day's rest I teamed up with a guy from Exmoor and a German woman I had met to drive to Freycinet Nat Park, where we climbed Mt Amos which overlooks the fabulous Wineglass Bay. After cooling off with a dip in the sea (The Southern Ocean is getting pretty chilly), the 3 of us shared a tent pitched behind the beach which was fun - cooking on the beach.

In the next few days I plan to go hiking in the Blue Mountains to round off my Oz experience.

All the Best

Andrew