Arguably Australia's most famous long-distance walking trail, the Overland Track runs 52 miles from the rustic delights of the Waldheim Chalet near Cradle Mountain in the north to Cynthia Bay on the shores of Lake St. Clair, Australia's deepest, in the heart of the Tasmanian Central Highlands.

Cradle Mountain - Lake St. Clair National Park is an area of wild, stunning beauty. It is the jewel in the crown of Tasmania's rich World Heritage Area, which comprehends up more than 3.4 million acres of the island state's wild southwest.

The Overland Track crosses windswept button-grass moors and climbs rugged peaks that are themselves dwarfed by the surrounding spines of rock and ice-carved crags. It passes alongside pristine lakes, delicate tea-stained tarns, and tumbling waterfalls, and crosses numerous mountain streams. Verdant forests of ancient pines draped with moss and vast areas of eucalypt woodlands greet hardy travelers, who take between five and eight days to complete this wondrous walk. For the not-so-hardy walker, private huts, offering fully catered excursions, can be arranged. Whichever way you travel the trail, the memory will stay with you for a lifetime.

Trip Facts
Difficulty rating: Moderate
When to go: October - May