Overland Track - Day 6: Bert Nichols/Windy Ridge to Echo Point

We wake at our usual early time and decide over breakfast and coffee that we'll combine today's hike with half of tomorrow's. The scheduled hike for today is only about 3 hours and tomorrow's (last day of the trek!) is around double that. We've also heard there's a really cool camping spot called Echo Point, which is about 2 hours into the last days trek. So we're looking at 5-6 hours of hiking today, on terrain that should be getting easier as we go, so it seems doable.

Wet and stinky clothes donned, we set off. The track is a bit rocky to start off, but nowhere near as bad as we've had. The terrain gets better as we go, many mushrooms and berries to be seen and we cross a river on a swing bridge at one point. It's certainly starting to feel like we're reaching the other side. Jeff hears a large crash at one point and when we catch up with Rusty, one of the hikers we've seen on the trek and have become friendly with, we find out it was a large tree crashing down. Crazy stuff! Rusty is on his second Overland hike, 30 years after the first one and this time with his teenage son. Loving every minute, he always has a smile on his face.

We make it to Narcissus hut around midday. The hut is on a river and is the camping spot for that night, if trekking by the book. It's also the spot where you can finish the trek and get a ferry to Lake St Claire, which was the original way of doing it. Now there's the option of walking it, but it's around 17kms, so it makes for a long last day. We've made it in good time, so we take 5, drop our packs, have a stretch, inhale some trail mix and lollies and kick on.

As mentioned, we're heading to Echo Point to camp tonight, so we won't have as big a last day tomorrow.  The word around town is that it's rat infested, so there shouldn't be too many people camping there at least. The books says we'll be trekking through ancient rainforest, but it should be pretty easy going as there's no more steep hills to climb or descend. It's the first time the book has done us dirty. It starts off pretty pleasant and this rainforest is the best we've seen yet. It's definitely ancient with mammoth fallen tress everywhere. It's drizzly (what's new) and wet underfoot. We're loving it at first but then it starts to become an absolute trudge and we feel like we've been walking for years. We have a few stumbles along the way, but are energised when we spot a little opening onto a beach. It's completely new scenery and we're giddy. Its like we're suddenly in Canada and in an episode of Alone. We'll trudge on and finally make it to camp and it was worth the relentless last few hours of walking.

There are fallen orange and yellow leaves all over the ground, the cutest little cabin (sleeps 8 at most) with a coal fire place that is doing the most. It is TOASTY in there. From the cabin we walk down to a beach with a pontoon and it's just spectacular. The best camping spot of the trip. Hayden and Cam are already there.

Jeff decides that with the beach right there, and the fire roaring, its the best opportunity for a quick dip and wash. He's in and out quick-smart and drying by the fire. The mum and daughter duo who we've been having most our meals with over the past 6 days aren't far behind us and they have the same idea. We are thankful we pushed on. Much better to share a small camp-site with a small number of people.

Hayden got here the day before and didn't see any rats, but there are huge steel bins which you have to keep your food and bags in, because of the rat risk. We put up our tent and feast on all of the food we have left. We dine alfresco on the beach and discuss the day's trudge (everyone agreed it was a shitter, not just us), but we're all feeling somewhat energised, knowing we're so close to the finish line. We head to our tent for the last night in the wild.