Intrepid Travel, small group tours and adventures.

During the pandemic, walking has been a release for many locked-down travelers. But for travel writer Tayla Gentle, who’d been walking the same couple of Melbourne blocks for months, even walking was losing its shine. But then Tasmania’s epic Overland Track came calling.

If you’d have asked me a week ago to join you on a walk, I would’ve politely declined. In fact, I would’ve politely told you that I was sick to death of walking. Why? Because for the better part of the last year, it’s all we’ve been allowed to do.

And yet here I am, boots on and knee-deep in button grass, somewhere west of Launceston and north of Hobart, attempting to conquer Tasmania’s famous Overland Track. Which is a pretty long walk (six days, to be precise).

Don’t get me wrong, I haven’t always felt this way about walking. I’ve hauled ass to Everest Base Camp to breathe thin Himalayan air. I’ve trekked across Patagonia, scouring the steppe for the elusive puma. Hell, I’ve even hiked Alaska’s Denali National Park under full midnight sun.

But life in lockdown Melbourne—where we weren’t able to do much besides go for a walk for the best part of four months—really killed my walking vibe. At first, a brisk lap around the block, or to the shops, was exciting. It was the perfect escape from the mundanity of my living room. But pretty soon that lap of the block grew tiresome. A trip to the shops became a drag. My daily step count dwindled.