Why photograph?
Our modern lives tend to be saturated by images. Eye candy, oversaturated, heavily curated, AI generated. What can start as a source of inspiration, can soon find us in a world of antipathy, wondering whether our more muted scenes or creative captures have any purpose or value.
This is when you need to put the phone down, stop scrolling, stop comparing, stop caring and remember. Remember why you picked up that camera in the first place. Look at your photos with more than critical eyes. Photos are a door through which we unlock our memories. Photos are a time-machine, through which we are transported back, remembering the sounds, smells, how we felt, who we were with. For many of us, this is why we photograph.
With that in mind, for this month’s Creative Rambling, I challenged myself to go through my photos from my walk on the Overland Track in Autumn 2024, and select one photo from each day. The criteria I set was that the photograph must signify something particularly meaningful to me. It was not necessarily to be the best shot of that day, or even a good shot. Technical issues are not important. This challenge was about finding the photo that transported me back to a special moment that day, rekindle the emotions I felt at the time, and help me re-tell the story I sought to capture with my lens.
So here they are: 10 photos for 10 days.
Day 1: Emergence
Our first day on the track saw us battling blustering wind and driving rain, as we climbed over Hansons Peak and passed the pretty twisted lakes. We were walking in gnarly conditions in an exposed alpine environment, and hypothermia was a genuine risk. We were cold and wet, and as the hours of the day passed, we wanted more and more to get to the hut, drop our heavy packs and change into dry clothes. It was not the start to our 10-day hike that we had hoped for. We were walking through some of the most beautiful, iconic scenery, and to top it off the nothofagus gunnii (‘Fagus’) was at peak Autumn colour. However, the weather was just not conducive to lingering to savour the sights. Any photography stops just meant rain drops on the lens, cold hands, and further delay to our progress towards the relative comfort of the Scott Kilvert Hut.
Despite the challenges of the day, as we walked along the Lake Rodway track, beneath the spires of Cradle Mountain, we looked up to see waterfalls flowing down the rocks. Spirits lifted. This was a special sight, a side of Cradle Mountain not seen by many. How blessed we were to be here. Waterfalls rushing down the rocks to the golden buttongrass, ancient pencil pines and the bright tinges of Fagus in the shelter of this glacial carved peak. By morning those waterfalls were gone.
On even the greyest of day, there are tinges of brightness to be found.
Day 2: Looking back
This is a memorable photo for me because it signifies a mountain climbed, literally. We didn’t really have a plan to summit Barn Bluff on this trip. I had my heart on set the side trips to summit Mt Ossa and explore Pine Valley later in the hike. But the Overland Track is best experienced with a sense of adventure and willingness to adapt and make the most of what the weather offers you each day. We awoke on our second morning to sunshine – glorious sunshine and clear skies! Our initial plan had been to push past Waterfall Valley Hut and on to Windermere Hut, which would have been a solid day of walking. Our fellow hut buddies at Scott Kilvert Hut, a family group, set off first to ascend Barn Bluff as a day walk. As we too made our way up to the plateau, we started to formulate a new plan for our day. We also decided we would drop our packs and summit this iconic peak, and then just make our way to Waterfall Valley Hut for the evening, hopefully giving us a bit more time to relax and recuperate after the tough first day.
The climb to Barn Bluff is a good, steep climb, without being particularly technical. For me, in my 40s and much less fit than my younger self, this was a good challenge. That is why this picture is special. I can almost hear the beat of my heart, and feel the sweat tickling my forehead as I paused at this point on the climb. And there, stretched out below was a real-life map of the trail. My eye looked out past the dolerite columns, following the track along the plateau, past a grove of Fagus, back to Cradle Mountain, that peak which so captured my heart over 20 years earlier. As the eye is drawn to its distant peak in this photo, so too is my soul drawn to this place at the heart of lutruwita (Tasmania).
Each day is a journey, each mountain we climb a reward.
Day 3: Aurora at Dawn
I was lying in my tent, and I could tell the sky was starting to lighten and morning was astir. I unzipped the tent and peered out. On the horizon was a glow that was more than just the beginning of the new day. I grabbed the camera, set up tripod and fired off a couple of shots before the competing light of the sunrise started to drown out the beams of the aurora australis.
I was so freaking happy. I’m pretty sure I did a little happy dance on the frosty tent platform. I was buzzing for hours – couldn’t wait to show my son the shot on the back of my camera when he emerged from his slumber in the hut. While I had seen the aurora borealis on our Iceland trip, this was the first time I’d managed to see the aurora australis. And being out here, breathing in some of the freshest air on the planet, watching beams dance beside the silhouette of Barn Bluff, that was a special moment. Yes, had I been following various apps and awake earlier in the night I may have witnessed a more vibrant show, or had more time to set up a better composition. But in a way, the fleeting moments I had to capture this shot make it just as special to me.
Fleeting moments, captured, are some of the most precious photos we can make.
Day 4: Classic Overland
This is the scenery that captures your imagination. This is the stuff that makes you want to haul a 20+ kg pack and live off dehydrated meals for a week, chasing these views. This is classic Overland Track.
One of the main reasons for picking this shot as my meaningful shot for this day of the walk, is because, as I write this, that section of the Overland Track has recently been burnt by bushfires. That boardwalk would have been razed, and the buttongrass charred, leaving black, boggy, peaty soil exposed. The trees in the distance, now likely resemble spindly blackened sticks. This is alpine country – a place full of unique flora which grows slowly. Recovery will take time. Let’s hope it is given the time to recover. Let’s hope we didn’t lose too many of the precious plants, like the fragile cushion plants and the Pencil and King Billy Pines to this blaze. And let’s hope this area doesn’t see more devastating fires in future years.
We must do all we can to protect these vulnerable places so that they may endure and be enjoyed long after our footprints have faded and our bodies returned to dust.
Day 5: In the Clouds
This photo was taken on the summit of Mt Ossa, the highest mountain in lutruwita/Tasmania. Three times I’ve walked the Overland Track, each time the lure of climbing the highest peak has been there, but only this time did the weather cooperate. Yes, we did it! Fist pump to the sky. Sit down by the summit tarn and savour a cup of tea. Coo-ee into the air. Spin around and soak up the 360-degree panorama of majestic mountains.
I have a number of shots from the summit, not to mention from the ascent and descent of this peak. Each one is special for its own reasons. However, I ultimately settled on this one because it features a massive cushion plant, nestled among the dolerite up there in the clouds. I absolutely love cushion plants. They are fascinating communities of hardy plants, slow growing in the harshest of conditions in some of the most beautiful territory. They are not soft like moss, but actually quite hard to touch.
I’m fascinated by the life and the ecological diversity that grows in the harshest of climates. Alpine, desert and volcanic areas never fail to enthrall me with the unique flora and fauna that survives and even thrives where our humanity reveals us to be highly fragile. I care deeply about these plants. I’m no botanist, but if I see someone carelessly step off track and trample these plants I feel pretty mad. A careless footprint, and the damage could take up to 20 years for the plant to recover. As more and more careless footprints follow, perhaps in search of that picture perfect insta-photo, these plants are so vulnerable.
Tread lightly. Walk in awe.
Day 6: Life, death and change
Another summit, more unique flora. I’m sensing a theme here.
Blessed with another lovely day, we packed up from our two-night base at Pelion Hut and once again made the trek up to Pelion Gap. The previous day we’d climbed Mt Ossa, this day we thought we’d give Mt Pelion East a go. Another good, fun, challenging climb for more breathtaking views.
Among the vistas, this little scene captured my eye. I love it because within this one area is such a glorious garden of Eden, with the icons of Tasmania’s alpine flora. The prickly scoparia in the foreground, then our eyes meet the fagus, turning orange before the seasons change and winter arrives. One of only three native deciduous trees, fagus is found only in sheltered places in the alpine areas of Tasmania. Then we have the contrast of the dead white skeletons of the pencil pines standing next to a grove of healthy green specimens. These are also incredibly rare trees found only in these same alpine areas. As our planet warms, our winters becoming milder, our summers hotter and bushfires becoming more frequent and more severe, these plants are more vulnerable than ever.
Look beyond the beauty. Seek a deeper knowledge, a deeper respect, and stronger urge to protect these places.
Day 7: D’Alton Falls
Look, I won’t deny this photo is a bit of eye candy. D’Alton Falls are a particularly pretty waterfall, and the conditions on this day were perfect. A good flow, a misty, overcast (but not rainy) day. The green ferns and beech forest creating a perfect frame of green to the pretty flow.
This is a photo that truly brings me back into the moment of that day. We arrived at these falls mid-morning, found the place delightfully all to ourselves. We sat down on the overlooking rock, made a warm cup of tea, and engaged in a bit of forest bathing. Sitting there, with my 12-year old son, listening and watching him feel genuine bliss at being out in nature, it was truly special. A little cup of tea (and something sweet) has become our little ritual on our bushwalks. Sometimes we need the tea for its warming nourishment (like on day 1), other times it is more for the ritual that nourishes our soul. That extra 400grams of the thermos is worth it, because it inevitably brings us a chance on our walks to pause and take in the moment.
Stillness. Rituals. Shared moments with loved ones.
Day 8: Forest Friends
As we took a break at the junction to Pine Valley, we were blessed with visits from some green rosellas, as well as a pink robin flitting through the trees. Watching these birds was a joy. Reinforcing how lucky we are to have places like this to visit where we can witness animals, birds and plants in their environment. That little splash of red on the rosella’s heads, and the pretty pink of the robin, was so captivating amongst the green forest. Our forest friends, lifting our spirits as we gathered our energy for the next leg of our walk.
This is their domain – reduced to only a small part of this planet. Observe these creatures with humility and hope that they can endure.
Day 9: Into the Labyrinth
A detour off the Overland Track, the Labyrinth is a wilderness area reached via Pine Valley. Lakes and tarns nestle beneath dolerite columns. You could easily become lost if you were to become too entranced in the beauty and lose your bearings. In late Autumn, the Fagus here is truly spectacular! I was just so thrilled to be here, at this special time of year, which is why this photo has meaning to me. I would have loved to have had more time to explore. I would have loved to have had another night at Pine Valley to attempt a summit of the Acropolis. But none of that mattered once we were standing here. The surrounding mountains were lost in the mist, but the Fagus, pencil pines and snow gums were vibrantly shining in all their glory. We had descended into a vast Edenic wilderness.
For me, this was closure on a dream of 15 years or so. The first time I walked the Overland Track, my friends and I only had time to make a quick afternoon trip part of the way to the Labyrinth before our turn-around time. I was always curious to venture into this place with such an enticing name. Here I was, with my little man beside me, fulfilling one of my many hiking dreams, and in the most perfect of ways.
Dreams, curiosity, adventure. The stuff of living.
Day 10: First light over Narcissus River
Sunrise on our last morning was probably the most special. Not necessarily the most spectacular, but special because it would be the last quiet moment before returning to ‘civilization’. That last morning brings mixed emotions. Longer stretches in the wilderness create a bond with a place. As you prepare to leave, it’s like saying farewell to a fond friend, knowing it will be some time before you see each other again. Cherished memories tinged with sadness. Yet also a feeling of, perhaps, relief. Looking forward to our creature comforts – a shower, a coffee or maybe a beer and some tasty treats. A phone call home, hearing the voices of my other loved ones, and then soon to be in their arms again.
Standing on the jetty by Narcissus River, watching the sky start to brighten as the golden sunlight started to crest over the earth’s curve and reach for the mist-covered mountains, all these emotions were bubbling away. But much like the smooth surface of the water, I too felt calm and at peace.
A perfect end to a wonderful adventure.
Creative Ramblings, March 2025
