Overland Track
Tracks have a reputation. They have an image, an emotion, a desire that is brought forward when they occur in conversation. They are like characters from fantasy, with some having a reverence of a mythical creature while others are more akin to a Hobbit, simple and perhaps not as difficult to comprehend but still enjoyable to engage with. This recent journey showcased both realms of reverence and simplicity, that while inspiring also left a desire for a deeper connection to the landscape.
Passing through vast glacial carved landscapes, adorned with monolithic mountains, cloaked in patches of millennia old forests, the reputation of this track is one that reaches beyond any other in lutruwitta/Tasmania. This stunning landscape has long been a place of escape for many people, a place where we find fulfilment in the pleasure of simply wandering. And for the most part, the wonder for wandering was fulfilled through this journey, though the wonder for simplicity and intimacy were lost.
Firstly, to note, this walk is known to be popular. Part of its reputation comes in the form of cabins, which for the most part are recently built, with such luxuries as electric heaters, plenty of light and places to hang stinky boots. Every evening there is around 12 or more people in the hut, sometimes just cooking, sometimes sleeping and cooking. That environment takes away from the solitude and intimacy that is desired when we venture to those areas. The bustling enclosure of the cabins, removes a deeper connection we can get from simply staying in tents, surrounded by only a few.
The luxuries of cabins are a paradoxical situation, where on the one hand they invite those who would not otherwise wander through those places, while putting off those who seek a rawer experience.
This is not to say such luxuries are right or wrong, as with everything else relating to anything, it’s not that simple. For those wanting to experience harsher climates, steeper terrain, deeper mud, there are no shortage of options for that.
These are simply brief musing of my own perspective on walking this famous track. I am grateful for the infrastructure of this journey that allowed those close to me to be able to walk with me and enjoy the landscape without not too much discomfort.
I desire to return to these mountains and valleys, to the experience them in my own time, in solitude. To connect intimately with their presence, their grandeur, their inspiring wild rawness that leaves us humbled and more than anything, deeply grateful to be able to journey to them.
