Eucalypt Forest and Mountains near the southern end of the Overland Track in Tasmania
On the last day of our hike on the Overland Track, we had two options: We could continue the hike for another 17.5 km, taking 5-6 hours, along the shores of Lake St Clair. Or we could catch a ferry ride across the lake to the Lake St Clair Visitor Centre at Cynthia Bay at the southern end of the lake. Most of us opted for the ferry after backpacking with full packs for 7 days. A few decided to leave their full packs with us on the ferry and do the final hike with day packs.
Eucalypt Forest and Mountains along Lake St Clair at the southern end of the Overland Track in Tasmania
It was a bit of a shock to arrive at the visitor centre and find busloads of lazy tourists looking to buy a cheeseburger at the cafeteria. It almost made my heart sink. There is something very liberating about being completely self-sufficient with everything you need on your back for a week in the wilderness, but when you arrive back in the commercial world, it can be a bit off-putting.
Eucalypt Forest and Mountains along Lake St Clair at the southern end of the Overland Track in TasmaniaEucalypt Forest and Mountains along Lake St Clair at the southern end of the Overland Track in Tasmania
While we saw plenty of evidence of nocturnal animal activity over the course of the hike, we didn’t see much out and about. Fortunately, we were treated to quite a few active critters on our last day, including a busy platypus at the Narcissus Jetty, a wombat near our final campsite, an echidna, as well as a wallaby.
Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) near Narcissus River mouth at Lake St Clair, TasmaniaCommon Wombat (Vombatus ursinus) near Cynthia Bay at the southern end of the Overland Track in TasmaniaCommon Wombat (Vombatus ursinus) near Cynthia Bay at the southern end of the Overland Track in TasmaniaTasmanian Pademelon (Thylogale billardierii) near Cynthia Bay at the southern end of the Overland Track in TasmaniaShort-beaked Echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) near Cynthia Bay at the southern end of the Overland Track in TasmaniaShort-beaked Echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) near Cynthia Bay at the southern end of the Overland Track in TasmaniaEucalypt Forest and Mountains along Lake St Clair at the southern end of the Overland Track in TasmaniaPumphouse Point on Lake St Clair at the southern end of the Overland Track in Tasmania
