Day 2: Myrtle-beech rainforest at Mt Pelion West

            The Overland Track is one of Australia's most famous bush treks, situated in the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, Tasmania. More than 8000 walkers each year complete the track. Officially, the track runs for 65 km from Cradle Mountain to Lake St Clair. However, many choose to add the hike along Lake St Clair as a natural extension, bringing the length to 82 km. The track winds through terrain ranging from sheer mountains, temperate rainforest, wild rivers and alpine plains all in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.

Aside from the main track there are also several alternative side tracks, including to the summits of Cradle Mountain and Mount Ossa, the tallest mountain in Tasmania. Also within reach are a group of tarns called The Labyrinth and Lake St Clair (the deepest lake in Australia). Walkers complete the trail in 5–6 days. This is normally done from north to south, which is the mandatory direction between 1 October and 31 May.

The landscape was all carved by glaciers during the last ice age, and the prominent mountains are composed of dolerite columns. The climate is generally unstable, with temperatures ranging from hot (35+°C) in summer to below zero in winter. Snow can fall at anytime and is common during the winter, especially on the Cradle Mountain Plateau and around Mount Ossa. Rain is very common, sometimes torrential though often settling to days of drizzle.

The most common fauna are Tasmanian Pademelons (native), possums and small rodents most of which are native. Also decidedly present, but not necessarily seen, are quolls, echidnas, tasmanian devils and wombats. There are also the famous Tasmanian leeches. The trail traverses areas of many types of vegetation, including Myrtle Beech forest, Eucalypts forest, Button Grass plains (swamps), alpine herb fields and shrubs and mosses.

(Wikipedia)

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I walked the Overland Track - solo - in May, which means autumn period in Tasmania. And got it all: sunshine, rain, lots of snow, and sunshine again. It was a mysterious adventure on the opposite side of the Earth.

For those who are interested, the itinerary was as follows: Ronny Creek -> Waterfall Valley -> Old Pelion -> Du Cane Hut -> Pine Valley (two nights) -> Echo Point -> Lake St. Clair.

During the second day, I hiked from Waterfall Valley to Lake Will, then continued along Lake Holmes and Lake Windermere to Frog Flats and back to Pelion Plains where I stayed overnight in the Old Pelion hut.

Taken in: Australia / Tasmania / Cradle Mountain (show map)

Taken on: May 4, 2015

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Camera:	RICOH IMAGING COMPANY, LTD. PENTAX K-3
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Flash:	Off, Did not fire
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