Just prior to the holidays, a group of nine Year 11 and 12 students guided by staff Erin and Dan set off to complete the Tasmanian Overland Track.
The walk up to the Cradle Plateau was a highlight and demonstrated the challenges of trekking in extreme fog, wind and rain. Waterfall Valley was the spot for the first night’s rest. On day two students awoke to find the overnight rain had turned the Valley into a series of waterfalls –living up to its name.
Rain on day two restricted students to only brief glimpses of Cradle Mountain, and a visit to majestic Lake Will saw them sharing chocolate and watching the next rain front rolling in across the plains. However, the rain eased on day three as they walked the longest distance through some amazing rainforest.
Day four saw the group head to Pelion Gap en route to the steep climb up Mt Ossa – Tasmania’s highest peak. The awesome views from the top included Mt Wellington near Hobart and many other significant wilderness ranges as well as a few small patches of snow to show from the recent cold fronts.
Day five was the day of rainforests and waterfalls and soon became one of the favourites. As the group walked through the King Billy pines and Myrtle Beech trees that exceeded 2000 years old, they staggered the pace so each walker had 45 mins of silence through the ancient forest. With all the recent rain the waterfalls were pumping and a favourite moment for many was the swim in the base of Tasmania’s fourth largest waterfall – Hartnett Falls, with its freezing fresh Tasmania mountain dew.
The final day saw the group walk the last nine kilometres at a fast pace in order to catch the ferry across Lake St Clair. The ferry trip was a time to ponder the view back towards the mountains that had been home for the last six days and a 65-kilometre hike.
“That night, as we ate our meal together, the overwhelming agreement was that we would all revisit Tasmania to complete more of the amazing outdoor adventures that it has to offer,” said tour leader Dan Hurrell
If you’re interested in joining the next BSSC Self-Challenge Trip then consider trekking the Kokoda Track in mid-2017 and contact Dan: hurrell.dan@bssc.edu.au
