Overland – Day 4 – Mount Oakleigh (9Km)

Another spectacular day but reasonably cold start. Having done such a big day one we had the bonus of spending an extra day at Pelion in the best weather so we decided to do Mt Oakleigh and explore a bit. The start of the track is very muddy and boggy until you get across the plain and start going up. The rest of the track is pretty easy although loose and steep in a couple of places. There is quite a distance to travel across the plateau and down through a creek and back up to reach the true summit or the spires on the Western end. The views are almost as good just as you come up if you have limited time.

We ended up spending most of the day on top of Mt Oakleigh exploring and enjoying the views. A few others in the hut had tripped off to do Mt Ossa but the cloud again sat on top of it until late afternoon and they got no views. There are some huge Pandanni groves tens of feet high along the track as we ascended. Some great views even before the summit. A couple camped at Tarn of Islands arrived about lunch time. Lunch for us was sitting on the Southern rock escarpment looking across the overland and over Pelion and the surrounding areas.

We met some locals going up Oakleigh late in the day as we descended. One had stepped into one of the bog holes along the way and looked a sight covered in mud. The hut was much more pleasant now except for the locals cooking up steaks and gourmet meals making a few envious overlanders. We planned a very early start so slept away from the others in the closed off section of the hut. A much better nights sleep and the best day of the trip so far was over.

A great sunset display tonight.

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