Hiking the Overland Track – Tasmania

A year ago I (roughly) I was hiking the Overland Track in Tasmania, one of Australia’s iconic bushwalks. Facebook kindly reminded me if this last week with a “memory” prompt.
This trip was amazing for me for many reasons, mostly because it is the first (and only) time I have been away from my entire family ( 3 young kids and husband) for more than a couple of nights and all other trips have been work conferences.

I was away for just over a week. Just me, myself and I … on a grand adventure.

The trip was a gift from my Dad for my 40th birthday. He knows how much I love hiking  and although I am great at practicing my self care in little bite sized pieces at home, I never would have booked myself in for a week away solo.

This trip stirred all sorts of strong emotions for me:
•    Guilt –  that I was doing this great hike without my husband, after all our wedding vows include references to travel and climbing mountains together til death do us part
•    A sense of selfishness – who was I to just leave my family for a week to do something purely for me
•    Liberation – the idea of being in the beautiful wilderness with no technology to connect me to home was liberating
•    Apprehension – I had strained my calf tendon 2 weeks earlier on a long hike with my husband for our wedding anniversary. The physio had approved me to go on the Overland Trail but had warned me how painful the trip would be. I was really worried about whether I would actually be able to complete it.
•    Excitement – I was off on an adventure and I love adventures!

The trip was amazing. The photos below speak louder than any words I could write. I did struggle with my injury, several days I arrived at camp and burst into tears having hobbled for hours with a heavy pack along a muddy track.
The scenery was stunning.

If you are an experienced hiker you could definitely do this hike independently. However, if you are a solo traveler on not confident with overnight hikes then I can highly recommend Tasmania Expeditions.

How did I go being away from my kids for the week? I missed them, but honestly I really enjoyed being able to be “me” for a week without being a Mum or wife.

I hope you enjoy these images as much as I have enjoyed reconnecting with them.

BTW: If you are craving some time for yourself to look after your own needs more you might like to sign up for SELF CARE WEEK FOR MUMS which starts on May 4th … it is a FREE email program I designed. You might also enjoy my weekly email – #selfcaresunday – you can sign up for that HERE