Very enjoyable video and well done!. My wife and I bikepacked the trail in March 2022. It seems most people tackle it north to south as you did. I'm not sure which direction is easier, if at all but bikepacking it south to north was very challenging in sections! To bikepackers here thinking of riding it, my advice- be at least moderately physically fit. Don't do what my wife did and think she could get fit for it on the trail as it's very challenging in sections! Secondly, this goes without saying with any adventure - be prepared with plenty of water! Even in the 1st-2nd week of March, we had some seriously hot, dry days. In the remote areas of the central highlands, some of the trail signs (ie red and yellow triangles) were easy to miss and you could easily find yourself having to back track using up more time/daylight.
Thank you and well done on completing it on your bikes - huge respect for you. Thanks for the great advice about water - we also found it scarce in certain areas and the days can be very hot depending on when you hike.
That's what we love about getting out into nature, we walk at our own pace and take in everything around us - was a wonderful adventure despite the snakes :)
Thank you for posting this video, I’m doing this trail on my bike and terrified of snakes more than the hills. Your video have given me peace of mind and I cannot wait to start.
How did you go riding the trail? Did u encounter any snakes? My wife and I bikepacked it from Hobart to Devonport in early March of 2022 (Due to time constraints, we had to miss the Dover to New Norfolk section). Over the week of riding and camping, we only encountered 1 snake which I didn't see on the trail until I nearly rode over it. Correct me if I'm wrong but Tassie has just 3 species of snakes and the 1 I encountered was the most venomous 1. It was warm and mostly dry so I'm sure there were snakes around tho'.
Thank you so much for putting this together. I’ve watched it a good couple of times now. The wife and I are looking at following in your footsteps. We’re there any issues with supplies along the way? What was the longest stretch?
Hi there, thanks for the kind comments. We made sure to take some supplies with us along the way, especially for the sections that had few stores (between Sheffield and Deloraine, Bracknell and Miena, Bronte Park and Ouse) - we just packed dehydrated food for a few days and supplemented it with flavoured couscous or potato mash flakes. We got our dehydrated food from Snowy's Outdoors - a double portion cost us $13.50 which was the cheapest we could find and was quite tasty. www.snowys.com.au/hiking-food - Just be prepared that food does cost a bit more at the little town shops. We ate fairly little on our hike (skipping breakfast and having a snack of fruit/nuts) at about 10:30 am). We also made sure we had a good feed whenever we came to a town. We did not strictly stick to the trail as there were a few fire damaged areas and sections closed to us plus it was Christmas so we had to deviate from Ouse to Hamilton then New Norfolk because our battery power was running low and so were supplies. Note: Ouse is a good place to stock up on food before you continue - we did not realise this and ended up having to head to New Norfolk asap. We discovered the trail is geared well toward cyclists and horse riders who can cover greater distances than hikers. A few times we had to stealth camp in forests and bush along the way because the distance was too great for us ( this was when we sometimes heard hunters out at night - not too pleasant) Our longest distance we did was approximately 30km in a day but we chose to do that rather than camping in the bush because of fire damage (Judbury to Geeveston). Hope this helps and enjoy your hike - it was truly beautiful and enjoyable.
Thanks for the video. Just wondering if you encountered many other walkers or riders along the trail on your trip? Also, does your tent come with an awning or is just the sidewall popped up? Love Tassie and enjoyed to trek. Pete
Hi Pete, we barely saw anyone along the way - we had three cyclists pass us and we caught up with a pair of Swiss hikers in New Norfolk - we hiked with them occasionally between there and Dover and have since become good friends. Our tent was just a lightweight two man hiking tent but we had an extra flat tarp that we used on wet days to create an awning and an extra layer over our tent. We had an amazing hike and enjoyed every minute of it.
Hello! I have watched this video many times 🤣 planning to complete the trail next year, do you have anything you would tell someone preparing to complete? Also how did you go with navigating the trail from the guide, any issues? 😁
Hi, and thanks for the comment. Firstly I need to say that we did deviate every now and again from the actual trail for various reasons (such as hunters on farmlands, access disputes between the trail organisers and farmers, bushfires, and the need to get food). However, the parts of the trail we did stick to, were relatively easy to navigate - we did "lose" our way a couple of times but asked for help when we could, or used Maps.me to get us back on track. Crossing the Mersey River will be fine if there isn't too much rain (we did it in December and it was low enough, but if you go in the wet season you may need to take the detour). We got a key for gates from the trail association but the locks we tried were so rusty that we ended up climbing over the gate anyway, so I wouldn't say it's a necessity if you are walking (different if on horseback or bicycle.) We did see a couple of Tiger snakes along the way, so keep your eyes open for them ( maybe buy a pair of snake gaiters just to be safe). There are plenty of little towns to stock up food along the way, but be aware that it is fairly pricey as they have no competition. We ate some dehydrated meals (Outdoor Gourmet Company have a great selection and double portions that are reasonably priced if you buy them online through Snowys Outdoors.). Make sure to have clothing layers as we had some really cold nights, even in December. Obviously, access to showers is few and far between (another reason we detoured into towns) but there are some lovely lakes and rivers that we waded into, to have a quick dip when we could. Make sure to fill out the registration book and check in each day on the app as this was how we were kept in the loop about what areas were under fire risk and which sections of the trail were closed. I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time - it was an amazing trip and we loved it.
Most of the time we slept in our tent because there are stretches where you don't pass through towns for a few days but then there's also the opportunity to stay in accommodation. We stayed at the hotel in Railton, Sheffield would have accommodation and maybe Brucknell - we also didn't do the exact route because of fires and we went into Deloraine to resupply so we camped there but that's also another opportunity to stay in accommodation. Other places you could stay in accommodation would be at Miena, Ouse, New Norfolk, and Geeveston - really depends on your budget and how much comfort you are looking for.
Yeah May would be pretty cold - we even had some cold nights in December - there may also be the possibility of snow and definitely frost in the central highlands near the Great Lakes and Miena. Average temperature would probably range between 0 and 10 degrees in the morning up to about 16 degrees. We don't know anyone who has walked it at this time of year so this is all guesswork. If you're staying mostly in accommodation it shouldn't be a problem. Make sure you take thermal layers and a good jacket and also if your'e camping a warm enough sleeping bag. Good luck and enjoy it!!
Yes, we easily could have driven parts of this hike and there are better hikes than this one, but we love the simpler trails as much as the challenging and awe-inspiring ones. We have road-tripped parts of Tassie and loved it, but for us, walking with everything we need gives us a sense of accomplishment at the end that is somehow different to driving to places. We guess that may seem odd to some people, but it's liberating for us. We do appreciate your point of view. 😊
Very enjoyable video and well done!. My wife and I bikepacked the trail in March 2022. It seems most people tackle it north to south as you did. I'm not sure which direction is easier, if at all but bikepacking it south to north was very challenging in sections! To bikepackers here thinking of riding it, my advice- be at least moderately physically fit. Don't do what my wife did and think she could get fit for it on the trail as it's very challenging in sections! Secondly, this goes without saying with any adventure - be prepared with plenty of water! Even in the 1st-2nd week of March, we had some seriously hot, dry days. In the remote areas of the central highlands, some of the trail signs (ie red and yellow triangles) were easy to miss and you could easily find yourself having to back track using up more time/daylight.
Thank you and well done on completing it on your bikes - huge respect for you. Thanks for the great advice about water - we also found it scarce in certain areas and the days can be very hot depending on when you hike.
Such a beautiful location! Thanks for sharing your experience
Thanks :)
@@simplelivingbigadventures101 no problem. We have a good time making outdoor videos as well
@@NickandRachel Will check out your videos - thanks for letting us know
Just watched the whole thing, what a adventure, looks like old mate wasn't waiting around for anyone :)
That's what we love about getting out into nature, we walk at our own pace and take in everything around us - was a wonderful adventure despite the snakes :)
Thank you for posting this video, I’m doing this trail on my bike and terrified of snakes more than the hills. Your video have given me peace of mind and I cannot wait to start.
Have a wonderful time - it truly was a wonderful trip!
How did you go riding the trail? Did u encounter any snakes? My wife and I bikepacked it from Hobart to Devonport in early March of 2022 (Due to time constraints, we had to miss the Dover to New Norfolk section). Over the week of riding and camping, we only encountered 1 snake which I didn't see on the trail until I nearly rode over it. Correct me if I'm wrong but Tassie has just 3 species of snakes and the 1 I encountered was the most venomous 1. It was warm and mostly dry so I'm sure there were snakes around tho'.
What a nice little video, thank you, I have been trying to make up my mind whether to hike or bike, hike it is 👌🍻
You will have a wonderful time either way - enjoy!!
Thank you so much for putting this together. I’ve watched it a good couple of times now. The wife and I are looking at following in your footsteps. We’re there any issues with supplies along the way? What was the longest stretch?
Hi there, thanks for the kind comments. We made sure to take some supplies with us along the way, especially for the sections that had few stores (between Sheffield and Deloraine, Bracknell and Miena, Bronte Park and Ouse) - we just packed dehydrated food for a few days and supplemented it with flavoured couscous or potato mash flakes. We got our dehydrated food from Snowy's Outdoors - a double portion cost us $13.50 which was the cheapest we could find and was quite tasty. www.snowys.com.au/hiking-food - Just be prepared that food does cost a bit more at the little town shops. We ate fairly little on our hike (skipping breakfast and having a snack of fruit/nuts) at about 10:30 am). We also made sure we had a good feed whenever we came to a town. We did not strictly stick to the trail as there were a few fire damaged areas and sections closed to us plus it was Christmas so we had to deviate from Ouse to Hamilton then New Norfolk because our battery power was running low and so were supplies. Note: Ouse is a good place to stock up on food before you continue - we did not realise this and ended up having to head to New Norfolk asap. We discovered the trail is geared well toward cyclists and horse riders who can cover greater distances than hikers. A few times we had to stealth camp in forests and bush along the way because the distance was too great for us ( this was when we sometimes heard hunters out at night - not too pleasant) Our longest distance we did was approximately 30km in a day but we chose to do that rather than camping in the bush because of fire damage (Judbury to Geeveston). Hope this helps and enjoy your hike - it was truly beautiful and enjoyable.
Thanks for the video. Just wondering if you encountered many other walkers or riders along the trail on your trip? Also, does your tent come with an awning or is just the sidewall popped up? Love Tassie and enjoyed to trek. Pete
Hi Pete, we barely saw anyone along the way - we had three cyclists pass us and we caught up with a pair of Swiss hikers in New Norfolk - we hiked with them occasionally between there and Dover and have since become good friends. Our tent was just a lightweight two man hiking tent but we had an extra flat tarp that we used on wet days to create an awning and an extra layer over our tent. We had an amazing hike and enjoyed every minute of it.
Hello! I have watched this video many times 🤣 planning to complete the trail next year, do you have anything you would tell someone preparing to complete? Also how did you go with navigating the trail from the guide, any issues? 😁
Hi, and thanks for the comment. Firstly I need to say that we did deviate every now and again from the actual trail for various reasons (such as hunters on farmlands, access disputes between the trail organisers and farmers, bushfires, and the need to get food). However, the parts of the trail we did stick to, were relatively easy to navigate - we did "lose" our way a couple of times but asked for help when we could, or used Maps.me to get us back on track. Crossing the Mersey River will be fine if there isn't too much rain (we did it in December and it was low enough, but if you go in the wet season you may need to take the detour). We got a key for gates from the trail association but the locks we tried were so rusty that we ended up climbing over the gate anyway, so I wouldn't say it's a necessity if you are walking (different if on horseback or bicycle.) We did see a couple of Tiger snakes along the way, so keep your eyes open for them ( maybe buy a pair of snake gaiters just to be safe). There are plenty of little towns to stock up food along the way, but be aware that it is fairly pricey as they have no competition. We ate some dehydrated meals (Outdoor Gourmet Company have a great selection and double portions that are reasonably priced if you buy them online through Snowys Outdoors.). Make sure to have clothing layers as we had some really cold nights, even in December. Obviously, access to showers is few and far between (another reason we detoured into towns) but there are some lovely lakes and rivers that we waded into, to have a quick dip when we could. Make sure to fill out the registration book and check in each day on the app as this was how we were kept in the loop about what areas were under fire risk and which sections of the trail were closed. I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time - it was an amazing trip and we loved it.
How was the accommodation? How much tenting compared to town accommodation.
Most of the time we slept in our tent because there are stretches where you don't pass through towns for a few days but then there's also the opportunity to stay in accommodation. We stayed at the hotel in Railton, Sheffield would have accommodation and maybe Brucknell - we also didn't do the exact route because of fires and we went into Deloraine to resupply so we camped there but that's also another opportunity to stay in accommodation. Other places you could stay in accommodation would be at Miena, Ouse, New Norfolk, and Geeveston - really depends on your budget and how much comfort you are looking for.
Would May be too cold?
Yeah May would be pretty cold - we even had some cold nights in December - there may also be the possibility of snow and definitely frost in the central highlands near the Great Lakes and Miena. Average temperature would probably range between 0 and 10 degrees in the morning up to about 16 degrees. We don't know anyone who has walked it at this time of year so this is all guesswork. If you're staying mostly in accommodation it shouldn't be a problem. Make sure you take thermal layers and a good jacket and also if your'e camping a warm enough sleeping bag. Good luck and enjoy it!!
Good on you for doing this but all this walking on ground you could drive? There are so many other better places to walk.
Yes, we easily could have driven parts of this hike and there are better hikes than this one, but we love the simpler trails as much as the challenging and awe-inspiring ones. We have road-tripped parts of Tassie and loved it, but for us, walking with everything we need gives us a sense of accomplishment at the end that is somehow different to driving to places. We guess that may seem odd to some people, but it's liberating for us. We do appreciate your point of view. 😊