The Overland Track Tasmania - Is this the best multiday hike in Australia?

The Overland Track in Tasmania, Australia is the best known and most popular multi-day hike in Australia. We chose to leave from the Waldheim Huts at Cradle Mountains, and traversed the Cradle Mountain Lake St Clair National Park over 6 days. We chose to camp on the camping platforms and experienced some of the best weather I've ever seen in Tasmania. This was the 2nd time I've done the Overland (16 years after the first time, when I did it solo) and this time around I was teaching navigation skills (map and compass) to the guests on this World Expeditions/Tasmanian Expeditions/Australian Walking Holidays trip.
#tasmania #hiking #australia #theoverlandtrack
🔴 SUBSCRIBE▸ Don't miss out on fresh videos! ▸ kzbin.info_cent...
📸 INSTAGRAM▸ / lotsafreshair
🖼 FACEBOOK▸ / lotsafreshair
PLEASE SUPPORT MY CHANNEL and buy me a coffee!
☕ KO-FI▸ ko-fi.com/lotsafreshair
📚 buy HOW TO NAVIGATE - The art of traditional map and compass navigation in an Australian context▸ lotsafreshair.com/2021/01/30/...
📥 GET YOUR FREE PACKING LIST DOWNLOADS AND LOADS OF HIKING RESOURCES
lotsafreshair.com/
About Caro▸
I grew up in Sydney, Australia in a family that never went camping or on outdoor adventures. So it came as a surprise to discover hiking and camping in my mid 20’s and it fast became somewhat of an obsession.
Since then, I’ve become a leader with the Sydney Bush Walkers Club, Search Manager with NSW SES Bush Search and Rescue (responsible for the Blue Mountains region), navigation teacher and author of 'How to Navigate - The art of traditional map and compass navigation in an Australian context.'
I'm passionate about connecting people to wild places in meaningful ways.
Apart from sharing tips here on my KZbin channel, my website and socials, you can find me as a regular contributor to Wild Magazine, Great Walks Magazines and other outdoors press. You might even catch me live on ABC radio Weekends with Simon Marnie and appearing as a speaker and workshop host at events such as Bushwalking Australia Conferences, ProBlogger, ORIC (Outdoor Recreation Industry) Conference, SheWentWild or the Women’s Adventure Summit. I am a member of the ASTW (Australian Society of Travel Writers) and you can also find me on TravMedia.
I am a brand ambassador for Macpac and some of the links within my site are affiliates. This means that I may earn a small commission from what you may purchase, whilst you pay no more. A nice win-win way of supporting my work that I really appreciate. Thanks!
Brands may buy my time, but they can't buy my opinion.

[@kyliebevan]

Oh what a treat, vicariously walking the track with you Caro! I've been blessed to walk the track about nine times over 30 years - first at age 19 we had soooo much rain, the second my now-husband and I got engaged (on the top of Acropolis), then five as a guide with Tasmanian Expeditions, another with my dad (totally new thing for him - champion), then just last year with our teens. I would have to say it has my vote for best multiday hike in Australia. Would happily do it every year!

[@LotsaFreshAir]

9 times! Wow Kylie, I can only imagine the stories you've got to tell, let alone about your Acropolictic engagement. Nice one! How nice to come full circle with the teens (and your dad) and have shared this experience across 3 generations. Special memories indeed, regardless of the weather.

[@ecopennylife]

A beautiful place, I've done the southern end, camping at Pine Valley & done day walks at the Cradle Mountain end including the summit - one day I might walk the whole track 😎

[@wy3131]

Same！

[@LotsaFreshAir]

It's great that there are a few options like this, especially more out of season. Add it to the list!

[@CowboyJojosAdventures]

Loved your vlog on the Overland trek. My partner and I did this walk in 2000 and next year we are doing it all over again. Thank you for the inspiration. 👍🏼🙏🏼🦘🐨🇦🇺

[@LotsaFreshAir]

Yay - so glad you enjoyed it... and the walk enough to do it all over again. Certainly worth it.

[@CowboyJojosAdventures]

@@LotsaFreshAir We are looking forward to it. Booked!

[@HikingWithShawn]

I think fungus is one of the best parts of a good hike like this! We love hiking after a rain where we live because there are mushrooms everywhere, many that we pick and eat!

[@LotsaFreshAir]

I agree! Fungus is amazing!

[@OurWeekendAdventures]

This looks like a HECTIC hike!

[@LotsaFreshAir]

Wow, hectic is a big word. I reckon it's the opposite... calm, chilled, beautiful, moody, changeable, majestic - but yep, I get the urban dictionary version of the word translates differently these days! :-D

[@mariannesparks7870]

beautifully produced video Caro, thanks for sharing!

[@LotsaFreshAir]

Naw, Thanks Marianne. I'm so glad you liked it!

[@stephenjones6902]

Thanks Caro, excellent video and spectacular area to hike.

[@LotsaFreshAir]

It certainly is a great place to hike. Glad you liked it Stephen, thanks.

[@VaporwaveTattoos]

Yes!! New video! 😂🥳👍 also im going hiking in dartmoor tomorrow so this came out at the perfect time 😂

[@LotsaFreshAir]

Oh great! Glad it bought some warm, happy vibes from Aus to your Dartmoor adventures.

[@simongrounds3628]

Beautiful video Caro and what amazing weather you had. We did The Overland Track with Timmi and Ollie as our guides at the end of February. The boys were amazing (and Timmi recommended your blog to follow). It was my wife’s first multi day hike and she loved it so much, we are planning many more.

[@LotsaFreshAir]

The weather was insanely good. I'm so glad your wife loved the Overland. Doing your first multidayer with guides (who take care of the logistics, shopping and prepping food, booking transfers and also are incredible for their interp knowledge) is a great way to go. Talk about setting someone up for more multi-day success! Oh, bless.. gotta love Timmi. He's def a keeper!

[@ervinslens]

Absolutely beautiful scenery, you filmed it gorgeously.😍😍👌👌

[@LotsaFreshAir]

So glad you liked it. Thanks for stopping by.

[@kylieodriscoll7879]

oooh can't wait - we are going in December!

[@LotsaFreshAir]

Woohoo! I wish you as good weather as I had. Enjoy.

[@SeanaSmith]

Gorgeous video, Caro. I feel I have a good grasp of what the track is like now and that really helps with making decisions about when to go.

[@LotsaFreshAir]

Oh, that's great feedback, thanks Seana. That's the whole reason I film the track terrain as I do. There are quite a few people who think, 'the whole Overland is boardwalk'. It's simply not and if people went with that expectation, they could find themselves unpleasantly surprised with the 'rooty' uneven and muddy bits!

[@visualjon]

Amazing! I reckon it would be a stunning hike in winter.

[@LotsaFreshAir]

It is! With good prep and a solid head on shoulders, it makes a great winter bushwalk... cough, snow walk in snow shoes.

[@whatkjsaw4461]

Awesome!… that’s what I said about it for weeks, just awesome! Walked in mid March this year, brilliant weather right when we needed it. (Cradle, Oakleigh and Ossa days) will go again for sure. 💖

[@LotsaFreshAir]

Oh, so good indeed! Seems like we might have struck on something with March being a great time up there... Shhhh, let's not tell too many people!

[@-paulmp]

I've just booked in to do the Overland again early next year, can't wait!

[@LotsaFreshAir]

Great stuff Paul. I look forward to seeing your stuff pop up in TravMedia and ASTW!!

[@Paul_VK3HN]

Thinking of booking for next year, is January andFebruary too hot, and do you take drinking water from the streams the whole way?

[@keunhyuncho3710]

What kind of bag do you use?

[@DesParoz]

Brilliant video. How recently did you do this hike?

[@LotsaFreshAir]

Thanks Des. This was March 2021, between lockdowns.

[@tiluhikers2490]

Nice video👍

[@LotsaFreshAir]

Thanks 👍

[@OutdoorsmanDave]

Beautiful put together videography. Where do you get your awesome selection of music please?

[@LotsaFreshAir]

Thanks Dave. I've been working as a TV producer/director for a couple of decades so hopefully some of the tips from cinematographers and editors has rubbed off!! The music is licensed from a bunch of different production music libraries that I use in my day job. All paid for - I believe really strongly in paying artists for their work - so try to stay away from free stuff, especially in the last few years when I started earning (cough, lucky if it's $20/week) from KZbin revenue. So yep, pretty much means that these are a labour of love and I end up paying for the joy of making videos and sharing... but that's why we do it, eh? Thanks for stopping by.

[@msdiinsche]

Looks beautiful Caro! I haven't been to Tasmania, do you see any animals walking the Overland track? I basically just want to hang out with Wombats 😅

[@rag4877]

You see alot of birds, and some assorted other animals. If ur doing it outside of summer u see alot of leeches! best spot for wombats in all of tassie in my opinon is the plains right at the very start in the valley just by ronny creek. From around 2pm onwards around there u will see a heap of wombats. if u do go please note to not leave the boardwalk to pat wombats as it trashes the boardwalks and wombats dont like being touched.

[@msdiinsche]

@@rag4877 Thanks for your info! I was going to say "what, can you pat wombats?" 🤣 I just like looking at animals in the wild, no touching involved, definitely not with leeches. Not sure Tassie will be in future plans, I'm in NZ so not too far away, but just finding out more about it at this stage.

[@rag4877]

@@msdiinsche Haha yeah. You can pat them in theory, just in practice it helps neither the wombat - who doesnt wanna be harrased, you - who doesnt want ticks and other animal nasties, and the area - who doesnt want mass amounts of tourists diverging onto soft moorland to touch wombats. That being said tassie in general is great for wildlife, plenty of wombats, wallabies, echindas etc. Best place for wildlife in tassie is definetly maria island, heaps of wombats, wallabies and everything u would want really (plus some rare albino animals asw). def reccomend going to both cradle mountain and maria island if planning a trip to tassie, as well as freycinet and bruny island.

[@LotsaFreshAir]

Yes! and thanks @rag for great comments below. What they said! You don't have to go to Tassie for wombats though... although it's a nice spot for so many other reasons too.

[@ThatOneTimeIn]

What a spectacular hike!! It's amazing, but I think once the winter season is over you should try the western arthurs Travers down in the south west coast, it's the best hike we have ever done and have a video series on it if you're interested 💜🤙

[@LotsaFreshAir]

I've got a glint in my eye for an Eastern and Western Arthurs traverse, another day... and somewhere in that diary!!

[@LotsaFreshAir]

PS: I'll check out your stuff... thanks for letting me know.

[@ThatOneTimeIn]

Tasmania just has it all!

[@lizardears4861]

How much of this track is over boardwalks?

[@LotsaFreshAir]

Less than you might think or people say. I thought I had that statistic in the video... Hmmm, making me think.

[@praktika1082]

Are those Dresden glasses? :-)

[@LotsaFreshAir]

They sure are! Well spotted.

[@praktika1082]

@@LotsaFreshAir they're very cool, and sustainable and all that! Great choice!

[@warrensaillard7022]

No 8 for me July 2023 all ready pre planning just for fun if I buy any new gear my wife will kill me

[@TasHikingAdventures]

No it's over crowded and I'm born here yes it's a great hike but too many people on the track was a horrible local experience

[@LotsaFreshAir]

As someone who lives in the Blue Mts, I get how numbers of visitors changes the experience. But I guess one of the good things, is that we have more time, more local knowledge to venture further afield, off-the-beaten-track, to see a different side to it. There's so many different ways to see the Central Plateau... The Overland is only one. ;-)

[@rowdeh83]

How come it takes 6 days if it’s only 66kms? Did Kokoda and that’s 140kms and 8 days. What’s the go?

[@ThePhiloctopus]

It's designed so that each day there is an optional side trip or two you can take. Also, it will be more challenging in winter.

[@LotsaFreshAir]

Alas, distance is not usually a good indication of the time a trip will take. It's pretty different in many ways to Kokoda, including terrain, ascent/descent and no porters ;-). Have you heard about William Naesmith, the Scottish Mountaineer?

[@grasslipper8856]

You lost me with your over used boring intro mate straight up.

[@LotsaFreshAir]

You lost me with your boredom of an Acknowledgement of Country

[@keithdrower9120]

Thank you.. Wow, it is beautiful scenery. I would love to do this.

[@LotsaFreshAir]

It really is!