Hiking the Overland Track

This guide covers the iconic 81km Overland Track in Tasmania, one of Australias most famous long-distance walks. Starting at Cradle Valley and finishing at Lake St Clair, this hut-to-hut route is split into seven stages of roughly 10km, with plenty of opportunities to tackle the tracks many higher level sidetrips which include Tasmanias highest peak, Mt Ossa. The guidebook provides in-depth route description and clear 1:50,000 mapping for the whole track, which is suitable for all fit hikers as it is well marked and maintained with boardwalks and bridges. The more adventurous sidetrips are less waymarked and require experience and navigational ability. The Cradle Mountain–Lake St Clair National Park is an impressive combination of steep dolerite columns rising high above buttongrass moors, rainforests, waterfalls and tranquil lakes.

This dramatic and varied landscape is teeming with wildlife species that are endemic to Tasmania, and is also rich in fascinating history, both Aboriginal and post-European settlement. Within this guidebook is crucial information for planning an Overland experience, including arranging permits and booking onto the Overland Track, transport options for getting to and from the route, and the accommodation options for before and after the hike. It also provides a wealth of notes while on the track about the facilities available at each hut and the national parks wildlife (identified and illustrated in the books extensive plant and animal section), making this an essential guide for hikers setting out on this spectacular walk across Tasmania.

About the Author

Warwick Sprawson lives in Melbourne, Australia. After studying engineering he spent many years working and hiking in England, Ireland, Canada, Spain, Japan, Mexico and Costa Rica. Returning to Melbourne, he studied Australian Land Conservation and Management, subsequently working as a bushland regenerator. Since 2008 he has worked full-time as a writer, including as a regular contributor to Wild and Great Walks magazines