Into the Western Wilderness

With only weeks left before returning to the mainland, it was time for the last leg of our Tasmanian journey: go West. We stayed for three days at the remote, pleasant, and half empty Wayatinah caravan park. Then we moved on to free camping next to the Derwent Bridge Wilderness Hotel close to the southern end of the Overland track at Lake St Clair.

Seen from the outside you wouldn’t guess the inside of the hotel. It looks like a Swiss ski resort, with a high ceiling and a huge fireplace. Usually packed with hungry nomads and thirsty trekkers. A bartender complained to us that “it never stops”.

Rainy, cold, overcast – Lake St Clair was shrouded in mists with occasional beams of sunlight. And there we saw our second tiger snake, sunning itself curled up on the side of a path just a few steps from a sign alerting hikers not to approach snakes. No, I didn’t take a photo of it. Instead, I took a picture of this gorgeous alpine gum tree.