Hiking (or bushwalking as we call it “down under” ) is my passion and obsession. The place where we love to go backpacking is in Tasmania, Australia’s most southern state.

With a population of just over 500,000 people and a total area is 68,401 square kilometres (26,410 sq mi) -Tasmania is slightly larger than West Virginia (with it’s population of around 1.8 m) It is a beautiful, unspoilt place and has large tracts of World Heritage Wilderness areas, forests, mountains and large rivers. When I say wilderness, I mean wilderness and that is where we like to escape to as often as possible from our hometown on the mainland of Australia, Geelong.

Enough of an introduction, now down to our favourite hiking track in Tasmania – The Overland Track. This track was first officially walked in 1931 and stretches from Cradle Mountain to Lake St Clair over 65km (40 miles). While this is very short compared to “thru hikes” we read about in the U.S. it is considered THE iconic bushwalk in Australia.

Cradle Mountain is at the start of the Overland Track – it is magnificent in all sorts of conditions and weather.

Why is it so great?

• a huge range of different environments ranging from sheer dolerite mountains, temperate rainforest, wild rivers and alpine plains
• an incredible variety of weather and track conditions. It can snow in the middle of summer, rain for a week or be spectacular blue skies
• there are many side trips to lakes, waterfalls and mountains – many people visit all of them
• the environment is pristine and very well managed by the Parks Service
• there are excellent, basic facilities spread evenly over the Track. This includes huts, platformed campsites and basic toilets

Frank with his wife, best mate and hiking partner Sue, half way along the Overland Track in September 2009. This is at the turnoff to Mt Ossa, the highest mountain in Tasmania.

The walk is usually done over five nights. I have done it about seven times and taken between four and seven nights depending on the group and weather. This might seem a slow pace to your readers and yes, it is, but it is deliberate. We enjoy a late start in the mornings and as many side trips as we can. We also enjoy getting into the huts early in the afternoon and relaxing, especially enjoying the fantastic views and wonderful people we meet from all over the world.

Yep, around 7000 people “do” the Overland Track each year and many of them are overseas visitor and first time multi day hikers. The funny thing is that even with this number of people, you still feel isolated and have heaps of space.
 
We hiked the Overland Track a couple of years ago for my 50th birthday with a group of friends. I got this cigar and a can or two of bourbon & coke as a present!

After walking the Track a few times and observing how many of these people carried too much (or the wrong) gear, had inappropriate equipment, got blisters, had boots that fell apart, took the wrong food etcetera (the list goes on) we wrote a guide book on How to Hike the Overland Track. We drew on our experience of planning transport, food, gear, equipment and a whole lot of other tips and tricks. We sell it via Our Hiking Blog and the feedback from people who have used it as a guide has been great.

If you are ever planning to head “down under” and want to get out for a backpacking trip, drop by the blog and get it contact, we would love to hear from you.

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Thanks to Frank and Sue from the Australian hiking blog, ourhikingblog.com.au for this guest post on hiking in Tasmania.  This hiking blog also offers great outdoor tips that will make your next trip better.  Be sure to check out their blog and add it to your list of must reads.