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You will be picked from Launceston hotels between 7.00 – 7.30 am and then drive 2 1/2 hours to Waldheim, 'forest home', where your Overland Track Trek begins.
You spend the morning walking up past lakes and tarns to the top of the Cradle Plateau where you are rewarded with views of Dove Lake and an endless horizon of impressive mountain ranges. After enjoying lunch you may opt for a side trip, weather and time permitting, to the craggy summit of Cradle Mountain before making your way to Waterfall Valley for your first night under the stars.
Includes lunch and dinner.
Today you continue south from Waterfall Valley to Lake Windermere. A leisurely day that offers time for a side trip to Lake Will - named after a coal prospector in the 1800s.
At Lake Will you will have the opportunity for a relaxing lunch and a swim from its sandy shores. Returning to your pack, you head back across the rolling button grass plains towards your campsite at Lake Windermere. You spend the afternoon relaxing, taking in the fabulous views and maybe go for a refreshing swim in the lake.
Includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Today is a wild day of moorlands and mountain views. Your morning takes you across Pine Forest Moor offering spectacular views across the Forth River Valley to the heights of Mount Oakleigh and to today’s destination, Pelion Plains, at its base.
You descend around Mount Pelion West to a popular lunch spot at Frog Flats. After lunch you walk up through tall, lush forest onto the great expanse of Pelion Plains. You have the option of a short side trip to Pelion Hut to gain a deeper appreciation of the park's rich history.
Includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.
From camp you continue walking south through Myrtle forest, past tufted Pandani trees, then up to the saddle (1113m) between Mount Pelion East and Mount Ossa. This is the perfect place for a well-deserved rest.
In fine weather, climbing Mount Ossa (1617m), Tasmania’s highest peak, is without a doubt one of the highlights of the Overland Track. With magnificent views in all directions you continue south into beautiful Pinestone Valley, to your creek-side campsite overlooking the grand spires of Cathedral Mountain.
Includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Today you walk through towering rainforests of Leatherwood and Sassafras trees, heading towards three of Tasmania’s largest and most spectacular waterfalls.
The first you visit is Fergusson Falls, named after a former ranger at Lake St. Clair, followed by Dalton Falls. The third of these large falls is Hartnett Falls, named after Paddy Hartnett, an eccentric irish bushman who was rarely seen without his bowler hat. You walk up through Du Cane gap then descend to your campsite at Bert Nichols.
Includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Today you pack your backpack for the final day on the track, which takes you through mixed eucalyptus and stands of temperate rainforest to the shore of Lake St Clair, the deepest natural lake in the Southern Hemisphere. As you near the lake you can gaze up to the peaks of Mt Ida and majestic Mount Olympus.
You then catch a 30 minute ferry across Lake St Clair, providing spectacular views back upon the mountains you've walked past - a wonderful conclusion to your Overland Track Trek.
After time to explore the visitor centre and have a celebratory lunch, you board the bus for your return drive across the Central Plateau to Launceston. You will be dropped off at your accommodation in Launceston at approximately 5pm.
Includes breakfast and lunch.
Note: The above itinerary is to be taken as a guide only. Inclement weather, group fitness and a number of other factors may influence the planned itinerary causing delays and variations. The guide reserves the right to make modifications and/or alterations to the trip itinerary in the best interests of all involved.
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