Sometimes you undertake a journey that you know you will never forget, this is one of those occasions

LAKE OBERON, JANUARY 2019

SOUTHWEST NATIONAL PARK, TASMANIA

"As the trail unfolded before me, I looked up time and time again just  taking in the grand view of the mountain range we were soon to climb. I wondered what it would take, what we would find. I also considered what barriers of my own I would need to break through to make this hike a reality"
THE BUILD UP

There must be some emphasis put on the build up to this trip as it was planned over several years. By the time we were a few weeks out, I was just busting to get to Tasmania and simply start walking. In July of 2016, I started thinking about this journey and put out the call to all involved with a great response. Our team would be made up of four individuals with a sense of adventure, calm heads if things turn ugly and people who are my mates. I would not rather be in the wilderness with any other group.

John -
Has hiked all around the world, fitter than I will ever be and is a wealth of knowledge with a great respect for the outdoors. John has been on many a photography trip with me, scouting for locations, helping with gear and is an all round legend.

Steve -
John's son and a friend that I went through school with, always up for a challenge and is willing to push himself to the limit. Invested in making this trip a reality from day 1 and a has a great outlook on life, I have great respect for this man and was stoked that he could finally come on a trip.

James -
A close friend I met through photography, a persistent and driven individual who is very handy behind the lens of his Sony A7R11. We have been on many a trip chasing the light, with this trip potentially becoming the pinnacle so far. I respect his passion for photography, the outdoors and the process of capturing it in all conditions.

In the initial stages, we all started reading and gathering as much information about the Western Arthur area and the walk as we possibly could - feeding each other what we had found out whilst on practice hikes or over an infrequent schnitzel dinner. We shared training methods, gear updates and plans in the lead up.

The Plan -

Tasmania's South West Wilderness, 2.5 hours north west of Hobart - start from Scott's Peak Dam and hike to Lake Oberon, then hike back out the same way.
I can remember waking up during the night before we started on the trail. I was in the back of my four wheel drive trying to find a comfortable position, being really squashed up. Even if I was completely comfortable, my mind was still racing, wondering if I had covered all the basis, wondering if I was fit enough to hike for six days, but thinking that it was too late for any of that now, we were at the trail head. I was looking out of the back window at the low morning light when suddenly a loud knock on the window jolts me awake. It was one of my fellow walkers , already up and it was time to get this thing underway.

All of a sudden it was time, time to get up and carry out the near 45 kilometre round trip. After a pack up and some breakfast, we put on our packs and finally started the trail. Stepping into what we described as 'the unknown'. There is, and always will be, something very special about taking yourself out of your comfort zone for days on end, surviving and thriving with nothing more than what you can carry on your back, as well as two feet and a heart beat. It is a different feeling, rather un-nerving but also exciting at the same time.

DAY 1
Target - The Trail Head to Junction Creek | 9 kms

When we started to walk, taking those first steps, there was this freedom to it all but also a bit of caution as well. We had checked our gear and re-checked it, we had planned and trained. We were fresh, well rested, all healthy and really ready to go. The original plan was to walk nine kilometres to the campsite at Junction Creek and stay the night, but as we wandered along the seemingly flat plains, with less deep mud than expected, snippets of walking further started to inject their way into our conversation.
It was a good, dry day for hiking and we all thought that given we were fresh, we might try to push for Lake Cygnus on the first day, roughly 16 kilometers in total, taking us up onto the Arthur range itself. We made Junction Creek in good time, roughly three hours, stopped for a rest and pushed on. We had read plenty of info about the up coming ascent of 'Moraine A' but you can only read so much. An ascent of roughly eight hundred metres over two kilometres didn't seem extreme. It wasn't until we really saw the ascent that we realised how steep it actually was and once we started, the push and the test really began. It was technical in places but it was a case of put your head down and keep on climbing. It would take roughly two hours to get to the top and by that time our energy was zapped.
Picture
Looking towards the Arthur range
Steve had managed to charge up the climb of Moraine A, I don't know how he traveled so fast - he was a beast. Once we all hit the top of the range we had this amazing, uninterrupted view all the way to the coast. I didn't expect it and it put the walk into perspective, we were really out there now. A few kilometres later this sweeping view into Lake Cygnus greeted us, though so did a steep descent into the lake. By the time we hit the camp ground, it was roughly 6pm, our legs and energy levels were done for the day. After a break, and after the camp was set up, it was time to assess our final set ups. Focusing on new gear being used for the first time, sleeping arrangements, camera gear, shoes and clothing. It was an opportunity to see how it was all stacking up so far but also a chance to see if we had forgotten anything really important. Luckily, we hadn't. It was comforting to have some food and climb into our sleeping bags and wonder what might be install for the next day - would we get to Oberon?
DAY 2
Target - Lake Cygnus to Lake Oberon | 5.5 kms

We woke to some serious mist in the morning, it was impossible to see further than five metres. Over breakfast there really was an expectation within the group that the really hard walking to get to Oberon was behind us, at least from a distance perspective, given what we had covered on day 1 at just over 16 kilometres. We all actually felt pretty good physically and on packing up our camp site, thoughts of seeing Lake Oberon for the first time ventured into my mind, and we were a day ahead of schedule. The fog cleared to sunny conditions before we left Lake Cygnus, but after talking to another group, we received confirmation of our weather forecast around the chance of rain in the afternoon. The news pushed us into action and we started the next leg. Perhaps we were blissfully ignorant, but the trail turned out to be really challenging, with steep sections, very technical sections and a number of descents that were very loose under foot. The required 4.5 kilometres to the Lake Oberon saddle began to take us hours longer than expected, but taking our time meant that we stayed unbroken and injury free. Often I would be left wondering just where the trail was going to go as I couldn't see it due to the thick growth along the trails' edge. I found that the trail itself offered comfort and security, it seemed to offer direction in an otherwise expansive wilderness. At many points I would find us stopping to just take the views in. The outlooks were just amazing, with high rocky weathered peaks, deep valleys and some of the most remote wilderness I had ever experienced.
By 1:30 we stopped in the sun for lunch, just before Square Lake, and started to monitor the weather to the west as the clouds were building. Square Lake was the last stop before the classic view into the infamous Oberon - the view that we had all been waiting so long to experience. Just after leaving for the Oberon saddle, I stopped to remember all of the text I had read about the Western Arthur's, the most frequently commented subject was how quickly the weather can turn. How the visibility can go from perfect to only a misty, rainy ten metres within half an hour. The weather just hits the range from the west coast and covers it completely in cloud. I was mindful of this - very mindful. I had heard of people doing the full traverse of the range over 14 days and not seeing the peaks of the mountains for the entire time. On some occasions hikers had waited at Oberon for the weather to clear, but were forced to leave the area not having even seen the grand views in any clarity due to low cloud. It was my biggest concern that this might happen and that the entire experience and subsequent photography would be really affected.

As I stood there thinking about the weather, I can remember looking up at the steep climb to the next saddle where I would be able to photograph Oberon (the main reason I had come here), wondering how I would push myself up there in time. It felt like we were close but it was yet another steep, tricky and rocky climb. I pushed into another gear and went well beyond my fitness zone to make it to the top before the rain. I could see the changing light, the shifting shadows. The conditions were what I had imagined so I proceeded to push myself. By this stage our group had split to two groups of two, John and I and James with Steve, who were about twenty five minutes behind us. I was possessed to get to the saddle with enough time to photograph the view properly with this beautiful light. John and I worked together, pushing up to the saddle. I stopped a few times to get my breath but finally we pushed to the top of the saddle and Oberon came into view. We just stopped, looking at each other in awe of this view. We laughed and were extremely thankful. We had made it.

I set up my camera quickly. It was the first time we had been able to really experience the Pandani Palms of this area up close, but I just couldn't get over the view. I wandered for some time with my camera, slowing down and looking for the shot, hoping I would find it soon. I settled on a few compositions, though the one below really seemed to work for me. The moving shadows and then opposing light areas is what I was chasing here. We needed cloud, but some sun as well, for this to really work. Loading my film and pressing that shutter, for this photograph in particular, was pure relief and total respect for this unique and amazing place.
Picture
Lake Oberon in all of its glory
Approximately half an hour later, James and Steve arrived and James also proceeded to get out his camera to enjoy and capture the spectacular view. To see the realisation in the group that we had made it, was more than enough for me. We were all stoked and had all made it, maximum relief. The arrival was slightly different to what I had imagined. I had perceived that we would all be together for that initial look into Oberon, but none the less we had all made it and congratulations were very well shared among the group. Not long after that, the rain showers began, so we packed away the cameras. It was time to head down to camp for the next few days by the lake - the perfect vantage point. The very next task was to descend a rocky, slippery cliff face which was about 100 metres high. Carefully, we made our way down, shifting our weight, getting low and bum sliding down some of the tricky parts.

Reaching camp late that afternoon was really something. To think about the fact that we had made it to our destination and could stay here for the next two days was a really fitting result for the hard work we had put in. Spirits were really high that night, until we were given word that a hiker in another party had broken several ligaments in her ankle on the way into Oberon. She could not walk by herself and it was looking as though she would be air lifted out in the next day or so, weather permitting. Once safely in our tents, the rain and wind really hit the area, but I was so tired that it didn't matter.
DAY 3 & DAY 4
Lake Oberon & surrounds

Overnight the rain really set in. Given that we had set up our tents when it was pouring, a lot of our stuff was really wet and was still really wet when we woke up. We had found a great platform to set up our tents on - it was covered with trees and Pandani's and out of the way of the howling winds. It blew fiercely and rained heavily all night. This was the weather I was expecting from this area - dark, misty, gnarly and unforgiving. On clambering out of our tents in the morning of day 3, we were greeted with  heavy, low cloud shrouding the area and during many circumstances throughout the day. It wasn't possible to see anything except a few metres in front of you at times. I couldn't help but think back to the charge up to the saddle to photograph the amazing view of Oberon the day before, when you could see as far as the coast - 'what a contrast to today', I thought. The physical push from the previous couple of days was starting to take its toll. With sore knees and ankles and stiff, knotted muscles, we took it easy - walking small distances to look around and scout locations for photographs. We met other hikers and talked story, with one of the big subjects focusing on airlifting out the hiker with the major ankle injury. During the afternoon of our first day at Oberon, the rain and wind set in again and although the Westpac helicopter did make a visit from Hobart, it was unable to land, the wind was too strong. Watching the helicopter fly away was a bit weird, almost like it was leaving us to the wilderness once more. We retired to dinner and an early night. The next day was much the same, though it was colder - around 3 degrees in the wind. We carried out much the same as far as tasks go, trying to dry clothes, cleaning and drying our gear in an effort to keep ourselves moving through the day.
Picture
Low cloud shrouds Lake Oberon
James and I managed to get the camera gear out for the best part of both full days, with a number of shots in mind but the progress was tough. The wind was the hardest element to deal with, as it whirled around in different directions. The foreground plants would move, risking blurring. There were breaks in the wind and although we had spent a lot of time waiting for them, the rewards were immense. This is what we were here to be immersed within. I can remember thinking about how great it was that we simply had time here, time to absorb and time to stand behind the camera, just waiting for the right cloud, the right light and making sure to look at all of the locations and spots without having to rush off and deal with other things. There were moments for me where I could just stand back and watch as the low cloud would shroud the peaks around us and you could see the oncoming rain and wind. We would just cover our cameras and wait it out, completely unconcerned about anything. We all ventured to nearby rocky crags, back along the hiking trail, searched for Pandani forests and had a ball of a time doing so.

On the afternoon of day 4, the Westpac helicopter arrived, landed and in no time left again with the injured hiker. She was safe and her team could venture further on into the Arthur's which was a major relief. That night was quiet, though we were all happy to know that Oberon was all we had anticipated and more.
DAY 5
Target - Lake Oberon to Lake Cygnus via Mount Sirus | 6.5 kms

It rained again through the night. We woke to really misty conditions on day five but the weather was meant to clear. It was bitter sweet to wake up with the understanding that we would be packing up our gear and walking out of this truly magnificent, wild place. I think for me, in some aspects, I was ready to go. I missed my family, but in other ways it was difficult to step away from a location that I had been wanting to visit for so long, with the inner knowledge that I would probably never see it again in person. There had been ample time for reflection for us all here, ample time away from everything in the world, to be absorbed by nothing other than walking, photography, planning meals and staying safe.

Our gear was so wet on this morning that we just packed it up - there was no way it was going to dry before we had to leave and hit the trail. I'm not sure if I have ever packed away a wetter tent. Before we knew it, we were on the trail again, with full packs and following the same trail out that we had come in on several days before. My expectations of this location had been met, even exceeded and this sentiment was backed up in discussions within our group of how amazing this experience had been so far. From a photography perspective I was overwhelmed, it was so different to anything I had seen in the past and so photogenic. James had managed to create a collection of outstanding photographs with the vivid, dramatic light. We would sit in the tent each night and re-cap the days events and the photographs taken. I was almost out of film, although I didn't take a lot. This is always a good sign that I have been able to find what I was looking for. By the time we got back up to the saddle I was turning around all the time to take in the view of Oberon again. It really was special to look down into this massive void to the glacial lake below. 'How small we are when compared to the grand scheme', I thought. I also wondered if this place had always been this way - so untouched and void of man and our 'progress'.

After a rest and some further photography, we made our way up to the top of Mount Sirus, for a different view. It did not disappoint at all. The day had cleared to allow a view well off into the distance. The true 'diamond in the rough' perspective of Lake Oberon could be seen from this vantage point. The rugged, brutal and seemingly unforgiving Arthur Range jutted up into the sky like layers of smashed, sharp edged rock which prevailed well off into the distance to the east for as far as we could see. It was an amazing view and we could easily make out Federation Peak and Precipitous Bluff well off into the distance. By this stage I only had three film photographs left so I needed to be really careful with what I used them for. After a quick session behind the lens, using two of my final possible captures, we packed up and bid good bye to Oberon. It wasn't easy to walk away, but Lake Cygnus, fresh food and the way out to the car was calling.
After a few hours of walking the day really started to heat up. It was crazy to think that we were hiking in shirts and shorts worrying about getting burnt, whereas the day before we had been struggling to stay warm. It was somehow comforting to feel as though we had achieved our goal. Sure we weren't out yet, but the main goal had been reached. I can remember walking along in the sun by myself, as our group spread out a little, just having the time to take it all in. It was a long term dream that was, for the most part, now a reality.

We arrived at Lake Cygnus in the afternoon and the sun was really shining, not a cloud in the sky. We took the opportunity to dry our stuff and proceeded to unpack everything in our packs, air it out, clean it up and re-pack. We even managed to dry the tent out before moving it to the camping platform for the night. Whilst the drying was occurring, we also got to enjoy a swim in the cool, tannin stained water of the lake and have a wash. By this stage it was day five and it felt pretty good to get a little cleaned up. Dinner was had swiftly after camp was set up. It was so still that night and we all had a chance to stop and reflect as the sun set - sitting on a vantage point overlooking Lake Cygnus. It doesn't get dark until after 9pm in summer this far south, and the sunset seemed to go on forever. It wasn't time to get the cameras out again but it was time to absorb the trip and consider the big walk the next day.
DAY 6
Target - Lake Cygnus to the car at Lake Pedder | The final stretch - 16 kilometers
I was woken through the night by lightning, heavy rain and wind, but we were dry and warm inside the tent. It rained most of the night and most of the next morning - it got pretty wild. We yet again packed away our soaking wet gear, but this time it didn't matter as much, the car was waiting and was within reach. As we headed out of camp, packs on, the weather was wild and windy with sideways rain hitting our faces. We just put our heads down and followed the trail before us. I remember looking up every now again to make sure I had a visual of the group. Once again, the pure contrast of the Western Arthur's was on display. We were back in our full set up with long pants, base layers and rain jackets on, as opposed to the day before where we were trying to stop the sun burn. I almost had this feeling of security over me by this stage, as I do on every walk when I am walking out. I was now just keen to get down Moraine A and hit the flat, non rocky button grass plains. Normally for me by this stage of a hike, I get this feeling of being respectfully done - being in a position to reflect on all of the planning, research and time that went into this trip to try to ensure it went on without any major issues. We had basically done it, and all though our bodies were hurting, we rejoiced in the idea that by the afternoon we would be out and back at the trail head.

The descent down Moraine A started with our last four jelly snakes of the trip, one each. They were so tasty by this stage and I was basically out of food. We made our way down, with the group split. John and Steve, being quicker walkers, could be seen way down the trail. James and I took our time and stayed cautious. 'This is when injuries happen', I kept telling myself, 'don't switch off now'. My knees were burning and swollen and I was starting to wonder how they would go getting me out of there. By the time I hit the base of the descent, I was in need of a rest. With wet shoes and steep slopes you start to slide around inside your boots which can cause blisters. I quickly took my shoes off to dry out. Once at the base we were also out of the gnarly weather and back in the sun. This was reward enough and the home stretch was in front of us. We passed a number of hikers on the way as they were heading up - into the unknown just as we had done mere days before. Once we hit the flat plains, our speed picked up and my confidence grew. Walking along in the sun and looking up at what we had just climbed was really fitting, as well as thinking about where Lake Oberon was located - hidden away from the world like its own little amphitheatre in the wilderness.

After a quick rest and lunch at Junction Creek, we discussed how much had happened since we came through there on day 1. We hit the trail pretty hard and after a few hours I started to flounder. My body grew so tired and dehydrated that I began to feel sick, so we started stopping every twenty minutes or so. We all invited the rest with open arms. By this stage it was just a case of one foot after the other, but I do have to admit the last three kilometres seemed to go on for what felt like ten. There is a thick scrub barrier that you walk out of after starting the hike, it gives you the first glimpse of the button grass plains and the Arthur Range. Steve and myself hit the entry back into it and decided that it was time to stop and re-group. John and James were a bit behind us and as they approached plenty of water was taken on board. We wanted to finish this together and that is what we did.

On our approach to the trail head, things seemed to move in slow motion a bit for me, we had made it back, we had made it out and we were all still in one piece. No lost or broken gear, nothing broken body wise. Just four tired hikers who were ready for a rest.

And then, in all its wonder, it was over - we could see the car. All of the planning, research, training, gear selection, packing and re-packing - the hike was over. We put our packs next to the car and stopped. The next hour was spent cleaning up and getting a few 'finished' photographs. There is this surreal feeling when starting a walk, but it is almost as surreal when you finish one. You go from ease and comfort to wilderness and surviving, to then return and go back to running water, available food, comfortable seats and even showers. It always takes some time for me to re-enter.

We hopped into the car, sunk into the soft, comfortable seats and proceeded to just drive away - with sore bodies, enhanced minds, so many great new memories and a deep respect for the region, this is the hardest walk I have ever done.

Thank you, Tasmania and thank you, Lake Oberon. I will never forget this trip and that initial view into Lake Oberon.

I must thank the legends that undertook this amazing journey with me - John, Steve and James, we made it! Thank you for your support through this journey - it would not have been possible without you all and would not have been the same without the group that we had.

"I have come away richer in many non-material ways. There was a spirit to this trip - the group, the location and the outcome - it all worked to create an experience that I will talk about into my old age"

Final overview

It is impossible to sum it up in words but a few stats and some of the photographs might help

Gallery of photographs

View the published photographs from this epic journey

Distance and times

Total distance walked - 44 kms
Time spent ascending - 11 hours
Total time hiking - 26 hours
Total ascent meters - 2200 meters

Weight & other stats

My pack weight - 24 kilos
Photographs I captured - 25
Photographs I was happy with - 7
Days on the trail - 6 days
PAUL KOWALSKI
Australian Landscape Photographer
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