In November, 2017, I took off on a hiking trip to Tasmania. This was the same trip that included my stop on Bruny Island. Before getting to Bruny, though, I headed to the beauuuutiful Tahune Forest Airwalk for a two-night stay (post is forthcoming). I was a little under the weather at that point in my trip but, thanks to my compulsion for making FOMO-based decisions, I decided to spend a day at the nearby Hartz Mountains National Park. After a casual walk around the Tahune Forest Airwalk that morning, I spent the remainder of ‘Day 5’ of my hiking trip wandering the trails at Hartz Mountains National Park.
The drive to get there only took about 30 minutes and landed me in the Hartz Mountains National Park parking lot, which doubles as the trailhead. As per my usual routine, I had a look at the list of hikes to mentally concoct a plan for the day. I decided to challenge myself by starting with the longest one, which was the Hartz Peak track. I’d read some online reviews for this hike the night before, most of which suggested that about 4 hours, round trip, be allotted to complete the track. After arriving late morning, I hit the trail as quickly as I could and trudged off into the misty air for my first hike of the day. That description of the weather might lead you to believe that I was saddled with crummy conditions, but it was quite the opposite; I love overcast weather- it makes the air feel fresh and the cooler temperatures are perfect for getting out and exercising!
The start of the path was pretty chill and level, which could trick one into believing that the hike is relatively docile. Luckily, I knew not to trust that this would be a guarantee. Sure enough, a short while into the hike, the path transitioned from a fairly laid-back dirt path, to a boardwalk, back to a dirt path, to a mucky stretch of trail (which was likely more slick, due to the weather), and then to rocky terrain.
That day, I hiked the Hartz Peak track and enjoyed a snack at the top, while taking in the 360° views. After descending, I decided to tack on the Lake Esperance Walk, Lake Osborne, and Arve Falls Walk tracks. Including stops, I clocked-in at about 7-hours of hiking that day and loved every minute of it. The overcast, cool morning (with a sunny afternoon) was perfect for getting out to stretch my legs and (carefully) clamber over rocks. Overall, I’d say the trails were pretty user-friendly and, as long as you’re dressed appropriately and bring your snacks and water, it’s a great area that offers trails for all levels of hikers. I encountered a few battery-related GoPro issues around Lake Osborne, but hopefully the clip and photos below shed some light on how frigging fantastic this region was to hike in!
