Birthday magic continues - Bert Nichols





view from Bert Nichols hut - March 2012

I shared my excitement about the unexpected date on my birthday evening with the guys. Needlessly to mention that I was a bit anxious about going to the Snake’s Point in the dark to meet up with a stranger… But there are always to sides of the story and I prefer looking at the bright side each time. I have never been disappointed taking this approach so far. So comes 22:00 o’clock and I was headed towards the darkness equipped with my headlamp and positive attitude.

The birthday present happened to be ....a home baked cup cake. It wouldn’t be anything unusual if not the fact that we were in the middle of the Tasmanian wilderness and we have met for the first time just few hours before. It was soooo cute.  The most memorable birthday present ever. It tasted damn good after days of eating almost nothing ;).


The sky was clear, the stars and the moon giving enough light to feel comfortable without using our lights. The guy was a charming Ecuadorian, with a nickname “Loco”. There under Tasmanian sky we made a new friendship that was to last long after. We knew our ways will take us apart now. I was taking a side trip to Pine Valley and he was going straight to the Narcissus Hut to catch a ferry.

If you are reading this dear Loco, you know that you are forever part of my adventure in Tasmania and that your kindness and caring will never vanish from my memories. His thoughtfulness extended until the next morning as I got invitation for a posh cup of tea to the private hut. Alex was on the “closing shift” and he was staying after his group had left to clean up after them and prepare the hut for next group. I also got equipped with some energy food to ensure I would be OK for the next few days.

It still amazes me how people are taking care of others, strangers just met on a trail, without much hesitation. I wasn’t asking for anything and yet I got all this kindness. It must have been the birthday magic… I will never forget my birthdays in Tasmanian wilderness.

Back in Bert Nichols hut, the guys were still up. Some got their boots burned, some other socks burned. The fire was really hot... After two days of being soaking wet and cold we were all dying for warmness and drying our clothes but some of us overestimated endurance of certain materials to fire heat...

Bert Nichols hut was called after one of the most famous early pilot walker and promotor of Tasmanian natural beauty In the hut there are posters discribing his activities and the historical background. It is a very interedsting to know how the Overland Track was created. To give you a flavour here is an abstract from Tasmanian Historical Research Association:In the first issue of the Hobart Walking Club journal, Tasmanian Tramp, published in 1933, a hunter called Bert Nichols offered his guiding services to walkers wishing to walk along what is now the Overland Track in the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. 'Leave it to Bert', the advertisement said. 'Let me pilot your Party through the ... Reserve. A 5 days Trip of Scenic Wonders'. Nichols did much more than pilot walkers; he also played a significant role in developing the Overland Track and making it accessible to walkers." Vol. 56, No. 1, Apr 2009: 81-96).

The hut itself is an interesting construction. It is all made of natural material and the transportation of wood and everything else was done with helicopters. The cost of building one hut like that is around $1MM (!). Next to the hut there is a water container that keeps rain water. It is usable for washing purpose but also for drinking (!). I was not using any water purifiers or filters or any other chemistry. I was drinking water straight from streams or from designated containers without any issues. They use the excessive wood for heating the hut and once it is all gone they put gas stove – to save up trees. As I mentioned already in previous posting, there are strict regulations on when it is allowed to make heat and when it is not. Australia is really taking care of their wilderness.




Warren and me at Pine Valley hut

There are also toilet boxes near by. I was surprised how organic it all was. It was the first time I saw using sawdust as a toilet flush. Obviously one cannot have running water there and using sawdust helps to create compost that can be disposed in an environmentally friendly way. It is forbidden to use detergents when washing or to dispose any non organic materials. One must carry all the waste generated until the end point. So obviously you need to think through on what kind of food you’re taking with you not to end up carrying too many empty cans or plastic or glass container on the trail. Talking to my ranger (LOL), the area is getting damaged despite of all the controls put in place. The government controls the number of people going in, the rangers are controlling if these people are well behaved on the trail but still it is unavoidable not to impact the environment. For instance there used to be plenty Tasmanian devils around. They are rare nowadays because there are more people around and because the environment gets polluted and they are very sensitive to any pollution.