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Overland Track

Day 1 of 6

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Sunday, December 30th
Cradle Mountain to Waterfall Valley
7.0 miles
1730 vertical feet (ascent)
1210 vertical feet (descent)
4:51


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GPX File

At the visitor center, we took the 9:45am shuttle bus to the trailhead. The busses leave about every 10 minutes, and we'd gotten our bus passes the day before. As we signed in at the trailhead, we noticed a large group of hikers getting ready as well. They'd all come in a hired van. Among them were some women in red shirts, part of a group we'd refer to as the group of 6. We'd see them a lot over the next few days.

We all ended up starting the trail around the same time. There's a sign marking the beginning of the Overland Track, and we wanted a picture there. Someone from the van group offered to take a picture of the 4 of us there.

Then it was off onto the trail, which starts off on wooden planks covered in chicken wire (they call it duckboard). A lot of the trail would be like this. It made it very easy to walk, and kind of felt like cheating to be honest. But there are areas of the trail which get muddy when wet and this is a way of preserving the trail (and making it easier on the hikers). (Note, I started my GPS a minute or two late, so the GPS track is slightly shorter than it should be.)

Wooden planks to start the Overland Track

We took the planks through open fields with views of the hills to the south as the wind blustered around us. We passed some small pandani plants. Then we crossed a bridge and started to climb a bit, soon entering the forest. After we entered the forest we passed a few small waterfalls, then climbed higher on some stairs.

Pandani

Small waterfall

Soon we reached the edge of Crater Lake. It looks nothing like the lake in Oregon. There was a large group of day hikers here, who we passed as the trail climbed above the western shore of the lake. We reached a plateau of sorts, where we had views of Lake Lilla and Dove Lake to the west.

Crater Lake

Lake Lilla (left) and part of Dove Lake

The trail then climbs again, with a daunting steep section clearly visible ahead. The trail gets so steep near the top that there is actually a metal chain railing for hikers to pull themselves up. We pulled ourselves up this section of trail, then stopped for a break on the next plateau. From here we had better views of Crater Lake, as well as the trail we'd just walked on.

Steep climb toward Marions Lookout

Crater Lake

Crater Lake and the trail we'd just climbed up

Crater Lake

Crater Lake and the trail we'd just climbed up

The trail we'd just climbed up. The trailhead is near the top right, near the edge of the trees

Lake Lilla (left) and part of Dove Lake

Looking down on Crater Lake

Climbing up the chains

A little further on, we reached Marions Lookout. From here we had a view of most of Dove Lake, as well as Cradle Mountain. Lots of people stopped here for lunch and pictures, and we did the same.

Dove Lake from Marions Lookout

Dove Lake from Marions Lookout

Lilla Lake and part of Dove Lake from Marions Lookout

Cradle Mountain from Marions Lookout

After our break, we continued south along the trail as it passes through an alpine environment. There are more sections of planks here. Eventually the trail descends briefly to a small old hut - Kitchen Hut. Some backpackers drop their main packs here and climb up Cradle Mountain as a side trip. We decided not to, however, and left the crowds (and most of the day hikers) behind.

Cradle Mountain

Cradle Mountain

Cradle Mountain

Cradle Mountain and Barn Bluff

Wooden planks through the highest part of the hike.

Cradle Mountain

We continued along the trail, with views of Barn Bluff to the southwest. The trail enters a forest briefly before exiting onto some more planks. We next passed an emergency shelter that looks like a little green spaceship. The trail continues fairly level for a while (with great views) before reaching an intersection. Here, there's a trail to the top of Barn Bluff to the right. We took the left trail, which shortly started descending steeply down to the Waterfall Valley Hut.

Barn Bluff

Barn Bluff

Possibly Benson Peak

Barn Bluff over the Fury River valley

Barn Bluff

Emergency shelter

Hiking through flowering scoparia

Barn Bluff

Ridge leading to Barn Bluff

We reached the hut around 3:15pm, and were the first ones there. It's a small hut with 4 platforms large enough to sleep about 6 each. We took one of the top platforms. As hikers started to come by, we found that most of them decided to sleep in tents tonight, on the grass down by the old hut. For a while it looked like we might actually be the only ones in the hut tonight, but the later arrivals opted for the hut, including the group of 6. There ended up being about 15 of us in the hut that night.

Waterfall Valley Hut

Besides the sleeping platforms, the hut has 2 metal tables, a couple other cooking surfaces, composting toilets outside, and a helicopter pad. They use the pad to carry out waste once the toilets are full, and to bring in supplies. There was a volunteer hut warden staying next to us, as well.

I ventured out toward the huts and saw a wallaby in the field, though I wasn't able to get a good picture. Some clouds moved in late and I was hopeful for a good sunset picture, but it didn't really materialize. We didn't see any really good sunsets on the hike, and it got dark so late (close to 10pm after a 9pm sunset) that I didn't stay up to get any night pictures.

Wallaby at Waterfall Valley

Waterfall Valley

Waterfall Valley sunset

Waterfall Valley


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