It was a beautiful day heading out across Sedgeland Moors with its glacial lakes. I had read about moors for years but never really realized exactly what a moor is. (Healthcliff, where are you…) A moor is an area of peaty wasteland, where drainage is poor. Or a bog which is wet, spongy ground. In other words — MUD. Lots and lots of deep mud, mid-calf mud on me, boot sucking mud…and I spent most of the day trying to yank my feet out without losing a boot or falling sideways. Chris said I looked like I was trying to kick-start a motorcycle.

Throughout the trek, we’d stop to eat our lunch sandwiches in the Freedom Huts along the way. Fortunately, ex-Marine never bothered looking at the posters on the wall or reading the walker’s accounts in the Hut journals. I did. I’m both curious and nosy. One account ran something like….”a rat ran over so-and-so’s face during the night”….

typical Freedom Hut on the Overland Track, Tasmania
Each hut had a poster warning about hypothermia. Each hut had a poster with photos of the most poisonous snakes in the world, with highly toxic venon produced in large amounts, all located in Tasmania. The Black Tiger Snake, Australian Copperhead, Tiger Snakes to name a few. Now I had major flop-sweats. Ian tried to reassure me that all these snakes usually run from humans BUT there was an exception – it was mating season, snakes become aggressive and don’t run. Swell…. ex-Marine is even more snake-phobic than I am and I never would have heard the end of it….”You brought me on a trek with the most poisonous snakes in the world? Are you completely insane?”… This became my little secret.

lots of mud on the Overland Track, Tasmania
Other than dealing with the mud, the Track wasn’t difficult and it was nice coming to Pine Forest Moor Hut, hanging our gaiters out to dry and laughing at each other’s muddy legs….View image…

Sheila and the mud on Overland Track, Tasmania 

end of day, drying gaiters on Overland Track, Tasmania
There were Wallabys (a small roo) along the way and around the huts and even an Echidna (a little spiny anteater) one day. A hot shower, good dinner…happy campers…

Wallaby pose outside hut on Overland Track, Tasmania