Shell's Trek for the Stars 2022

14/11/2022

Cradle Mountain this morning… we missed it by a week! Thanks Heather for the photo!

13/11/2022

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12/11/2022

Day 5

Our final day and guess what? We’ve cracked the weather jackpot once again! It’s another cool start but it’s looking clear despite a chance of rain.

Breakfast this morning consisted of the usual toast, muesli etc but there was also a spread of leftovers from the night before including vegetable curry, chorizo and apple crumble plus quiche! Not a bad selection really.

We packed up the bus trailer with all of our luggage and set off for Westmorland Falls at Mole Creek at around 9:00am. We drove through some really beautiful countryside and rainforest areas for about and hour before stopping at a quaint little coffee shop just outside of Mole Creek. Every single one of us was hanging for a ‘proper’ coffee after a week of the plunge and instant variety! Can’t beat an organic Tasmanian coffee!

Once we were suitable refreshed, we were back on the road to our walking destination at Mole Creek.

We turned off the bitumen onto a dirt track where we lasted all of two minutes before a bit of an incline stopped the bus and its trailer and all of our luggage in it… After some discussion and attempted maneuvers, it was decided that we would get the bus and the trailer back down the hill a bit, park it on the side of the road and walk the remaining 500 metres to the start of our walking track.

It was a two hour return walk through beautiful untouched rainforest, with some amazing flora once again, but this time there were so many spectacular ferns. We encountered a bit of mud also, which got our boots dirty. I guess now we can prove we’ve actually done something!

We reached the Westmorland Falls in good time and stopped there for lunch, soaking up the beautiful surrounds. A couple of us managed an encounter with some leeches, but they didn’t latch on, much to our surprise.

On the way back, we stopped in the forest as Jamie, our guide, had been on the hunt for a pink robin to photograph. We’d been hearing its calls on some of our walks and we heard one again today, but alas this one had proven to be elusive, just like the others. It was nice though, to stand in silence in the forest and listen to the chatter of all sorts of birds. We’ve learnt a lot about the different varieties here and their calls.

We all made it back to the bus for a short trip to Deloraine for a wander and then finally back to Launceston, where some of us said our goodbyes.

It’s been a wonderful immersion in the Tassie wilderness, with a great bunch of like minded people, all walking for a common purpose.

We covered around 62 kilometres in five days, which doesn’t sound like a lot, but some of it was considerably challenging and it certainly tested most of us.

11/11/2022

11/11/2022

We’re off on our last day!

11/11/2022

Last breakfast at the cabins!

11/11/2022

Agnes in her happy place… 😀

11/11/2022

Day 4

Our day began with a change in weather after a lot of steady rain overnight. It was much cooler again, and damp underfoot as we made our way to our guide’s cabin for breakfast and the usual lunch and snack making routine. Porridge was on the menu this morning and it went down well!

Dave gave a few of us a tai chi session after brekky, to get the energy flowing, as we were starting to feel a bit fatigued. Sleep for some of us has been a little elusive, which was starting to have a bit of a residual effect.

We set off to the Ranger’s Station at 8:30am to wait for a shuttle bus down to Dove Lake to start our walk. Rain had been forecast at some stage during the day, so we packed accordingly.

Once we got to the Dove Lake shuttle station, Sarah coordinated a group stretching session before we set foot on the track for the day.

We made our way down to the iconic Dove Lake at a steady pace and stopped at the lookout for a few more photos before we started the actual circuit of the lake.

We spent a few hours wandering along the relatively flat boardwalk on this stunning forest track, filled with native flora. It truly was a delightful experience in the cool morning air. A really gentle introduction to the day, which was strangely energizing.

We found a little sandy beach about a quarter of the way around, where Sarah gave us some Indigenous history and told us the story of Truganinny. A sobering moment for us all.

At about the half way mark on the circuit, stopped for morning tea at a lovely little picnic spot beneath the two peaks of Cradle Mountain and observed a minute’s silence for Remembrance Day as the clock ticked over to 11.00am. With the majestic peaks towering over us, it felt a little emotional and spiritual. Certainly a poignant place to reflect on those who have sacrificed much for our freedom.

After a little break here, we continued on, along through some dense rainforest areas again before we stepped into the magical Ballroom Forest… wow, just wow…It felt like we had been transported into something out of the Lord of the Rings. It really was magical.. the track wound around clear running creeks, huge pines covered in velvety bright green moss as it took us on another little mindfulness journey.

We came out the other side to a gentle incline up the side of the mountain, filled with more spectacular wildflower displays, to another rest stop under one of the many waterfalls that had appeared overnight from the heavy rain. It was crazy beautiful.

After continuing along the final leg of the circuit, we stopped at the edge of the lake for lunch. We took in the beautiful view as we ate, in the company of our usual Currawong crew who were keeping a keen eye on the lunch boxes!

After a bit of a wait for the shuttle back to the Ranger’s Station, we visited the Information Centre there and got a bird’s eye view on all of the routes we had taken over the past few days. Getting some perspective on the kilometers and mountainous terrain we had covered was rather impressive!

After a short walk in the rainforest behind the Centre, we stopped at our bus fir some afternoon tea before taking on some of the shorter walks in the area.

We started with the Enchanted Walk and then tackled the King Billy Pines Walk. Both were really beautiful, rainforest experiences and the majestic King Billy pines were an absolute standout for the day. Some of us saw our first snake (tiger snake) of the trip too, sunning itself down by the river.

Some of us opted to stop for a drink at Pepper’s Redort while the rest of the group took the final short walk to Kinvet Falls.

It was a slow and steady day, but we managed to cover 14.5km all up!

Many of us were starting to feel pretty weary as we closed in on Day 4. A quick shower before heading back to Gab and Kylie’s cabin where we efficiently demolished a cheese platter as we waited for dinner. Tonight’s menu provided by our guides Sarah and Jamie was a delicious vegetable curry and apple crumble.

What a day… what a week it’s been. Such a privilege to experience the natural beauty of this place. One more day to go.

10/11/2022

Chasing waterfalls…

10/11/2022

Mindfulness walking…

10/11/2022

Day 3

This morning we awoke to a much cooler climate, with plenty of cloud around. The forecast said rain, but not until later in the day, so we set off to Ronnie Creek after breakfast and parked the bus there and headed out along the Overland Track and through the ‘wombat fields’ at a rather brisk pace! We had all made promises that we would slow things down each day, but it seems some of us have an extra burst of energy each morning which sets the pace for the rest of the group! Once we finally remember what we’re doing, we settle into our own patterns and leap frog around each other as we stop to look at the flora and fauna and take a few photos here and there.

We turned left at the Lake Lilla sign and walked a few kms through some stunning forest and wildflower country before we stopped for morning tea at Lake Lilla. It was a very pretty spot, and we were even visited by another huge bumble bee, which tried to land on several of us before it decided to go on its busy way in search of food. None of us looked very tasty…

We continued on to the Wombat Pool, which has the legendary sign “Wombat Poo” strategically placed nearby. We think the park rangers have given up replacing it, as there is always someone that decides it’s funny to scratch off the “L”. We had a little laugh about it and of course we got a team photo there.

One of our guides, Sarah, suggested that we practice some mindfulness along the next leg of our journey up to Crater Lake and this involved us each staggering our departure from the Wombat Pool by about a minute between us. This allowed us to complete the steady incline in our own space, immersing in the environment, being a little more present and in the moment, listening to what was around us. It was a terrific idea, and we all soaked up the silence as we focused on our individual steps and reflected on what was important to us, in the here and now.

By the time the last of us reached the Crater Lake junction, most had already been sitting there for a while, rugged up with their jackets, beanies and balaclavas as the mist and cool breeze rolled in. The higher we went, the thicker the mist and the clouds.

After a team meeting at this point, it was decided that we would split the group as some weren’t keen on tackling the last challenging steep climb to Marion’s Lookout. Those who were feeling a bit tired from yesterday’s effort, opted for a wander back down the mountain with Jaimie (one of our guides) and a couple of us decided to take on the mountain with Sarah.

Those who took the latter option were rewarded with a magical, mystical experience at Marion’s Lookout as the clouds rolled in and over Dove Lake and the iconic Cradle Mountain. As we sat and ate our lunch, we were treated to an ever-changing spectacular view, with the usual Currawongs in tow. We’re sure we have mascot now…

After soaking up the wondrous, heavenly feeling of sitting amongst the clouds, it was time to head back down the mountains and meet up with the other group, which we ultimately did over a few drinks at Pepper’s Resort before heading on back to our cabins for the evening.

Light rain had started by now and we relocated to one of the cabins with the fire burning, for a delicious vegetable pasta and deconstructed pavlova, expertly made by our lovely guides! We chatted over dinner, about each of our individual motivations for joining the trek and supporting the Grow a Star program. At the end of Day 3, the group is bonding nicely now and getting to know each other just that little bit better.

We are looking forward to an easier day tomorrow, with a gentle walk around Dove Lake and some of the other smaller forest walks around Peppers Resort.

09/11/2022

We’re off on Day 3!

09/11/2022

Breakfast on Day 3!

09/11/2022

Pretty spectacular spot for lunch on Day 2!

09/11/2022

Ian challenging himself in the cold water!

09/11/2022

09/11/2022

Our ‘young’ Dave, smashing the chain section like a pro!

09/11/2022

Day 2

We started out with breakfast at 7:30am at our guides’ cabin in the Cradle Mountain Discovery Park, before packing our lunches and bags and setting off for Hanson’s Peak. We were meant to take this route on Day 3, but there’s a bit of rain forecast for Thursday and it wouldn’t have been safe to do some of the more challenging parts of that track in the wet. So, we took advantage of another sunny Spring day and off we went, starting at Dove Lake, then we hung a left up the Lake Rodway track to Hanson’s Peak and eventually many of the Twisted Lakes.

We began the day with a gentle incline up along the side of the mountain, which ultimately turned into some very steep climbs that involved chains to assist us with an almost vertical section. It was a slow and steady ascent here, and all of us conquered this difficult terrain without any incidents!

After reaching the top, we plateaued along for a bit before taking on another challenging incline and finally arriving at Hanson’s Peak (max elevation of 1173m). The view from here was absolutely breathtaking. We’ve been so fortunate with the weather and today was no exception. Sparkling sunshine, cool breezes and clear blue skies.. it was hard to leave the top in such perfect conditions, but we had to press on.

We decided to take the loop down around the Twisted Lakes and ended up stopping at one for lunch, with a few of us braving the icy water for a swim, while others watched on as they ate their lunch and some of the guys got their competitive streak on with a skimming stones challenge across the lake.

Once we had nourished our bodies with our packed lunches and dried off a bit, it was time to take on the very difficult last leg of the day, looping back up to the Lake Rodway turnoff with it all being mostly uphill in the hot midday sun. The trade-off was walking amongst some stunning wildflower displays and we even spotted a few red-tailed black cockatoos and a giant bumble bee!

We were all pretty tired by the time we reached the top… and even then, we weren’t quite finished. We still had the downward mountainside track to complete before we reached Dove Lake again.

We dragged our weary selves onto the shuttle bus back to our bus at the Visitor’s Centre before heading back to our cabins for some afternoon tea, a shower and a well-earned rest.

Tonight we gathered again out our guides’ Sarah and Jamie’s cabin for some delicious lasagna and salad and a debrief about the day. We were joined by the usual circus of Currawongs trying to sneak a feed and a couple of curious Paddy Melons (one with a joey).

All up we covered around 9k in 6 hours.

08/11/2022

Day 1: It was a beautiful sunny Spring morning, and we were met by our trusty guides, Sarah and Jamie at the Grand Chancellor Hotel in Launceston this morning. After some quick introductions we set off in the bus to Cradle Mountain at around 8.00am. There was much chatter and excitement about finally being on the road and beginning this long awaited adventure!

We stopped for morning tea in a quaint little town called Sheffield, where there was a Mural Festival happening. So many talented artists at work with their masterpieces. There was even a woman selling organic coffee from the back of a Land Rover, and some fellow walking the streets with an Alpaca called Pedro… and apparently Pedro is a bit of a poser! Quirky little town. Such is the charm of Tassie.

After a little break and some team bonding games, we then all piled back in the bus for another hour of winding roads up the mountain to our final destination for the day (and the rest of the week), the stunning Cradle Mountain National Park.

After stopping in at the Visitor’s Centre for a bit, we were then treated to fresh rolls and salad prepared by our lovely guides and then it was off on our first walk for the day!

We took the Cradle Valley Boardwalk about 5km along to Ronny Creek, then we stepped onto the Overland Track for a bit through the button grass plains up to Waldheim cabin. This was originally built by Gustav Weindorfer, an Austrian who emigrated to Australia in 1899. He married a Tasmanian girl, Kate Cowle and they bought part of Kate’s brother’s farm in nearby Mt Roland and spent their honeymoon camping there. They were both dedicated botanists, and Gustav fell in love with the rugged highlands of Cradle Mountain and decided to build a house there. He called it Waldheim (Forest Home). There’s a bit of a story to this and some of it quite sad with most of Gustav’s family dying, but ultimately he campaigned over many years to have the govt recognize the unique nature of the region and preserve if for future generations like ours to enjoy today. We listened to some of Gustav’s story in a replica of the original cabin on the site, and then walked along his magical Forest Walk.

We were fortunate to come across quite a bit of wildlife along the way, including an echidna, a white lipped snake, many active wombats and we were followed by quite a few Currawongs, one of which stole Agnes’ apple right out of her hand as she was walking along!

We covered around 8.5km today at quite a fast pace in the hot sun, so we were all a bit weary this afternoon.

We enjoyed a beautiful dinner at Cradle Mountain Hotel and watched the spectacular blood moon rise in the distance through the trees as the partial eclipse began.

08/11/2022

Mural Fest!

08/11/2022

On our way to Cradle Mountain, we stopped in a little town called Sheffield, for morning tea. They’re having a Mural Fest there at the moment! The plane is full of colourful murals and they’re making more!

07/11/2022

And we’re off to Cradle Mountain!

07/11/2022

Ready and waiting for our guides!

07/11/2022

You’re not even here if you don’t do a lift selfie right? It’s been nearly 4 years since I’ve strapped these boots on and worn this shirt. Team leading for Inspired Adventures is one of my favourite things in the world to do.

I’m so excited to be coordinating this fundraising trek for Grow A Star, it’s been a hot minute since the first planning thoughts… throw a global pandemic into the mix and voila, three years later, D Day has finally arrived! Watch this space… the fun is just beginning. 🥾🥾

06/11/2022

First time on a plane since 2019… it’s still as exhausting as I remember it. Nine hours from Newy airport to the hotel in Launceston, with one flight change before I even left home but I’m not complaining. In fact I’m grateful… so grateful for the opportunity to fly, grateful for the spectacular sunset, grateful that my luggage arrived with me and super grateful I’ve finally made it here after 3 years of planning, rescheduling and a whole lot of never really believing it would actually ever happen!

A day in Launceston tomorrow while the rest of the crew arrive and we’ll organize a team bonding dinner for those who are here in time. Let’s do this!!! 🥾🥾