Echo Point Hut via Overland Track(edit)

Prediction of rats in the hut proved correct. I spent what felt like a lot of the night awake listening to them variously chattering, crawling around the walls, gnawing on something or scratching at things. I turned on the red light on my head torch to try and spot them, but never saw one. Tucked myself in my sleeping bag (I was up against the wall) to try and ignore them and get some sleep, but when something knocked the back of my head, I may have sworn and jumped up to check on them again. Eventually, either they did quieten down or I got off to sleep for a bit. Not a pleasant night. Perhaps the tent out in the wind would have been better. It was really windy a lot of the night, but by the time we headed off for the last park of our hike, it had calmed down a lot. What had sounded like rain during the night seems to have been wind in the trees and the sound of the water in the lake. Much of the walk was through rain forest again. Really beautiful and some amazing big trees you could hardly see the top of. Quite a lot of fallen trees and some huge root structures on the bases lying on their side. The hike was up and down, but only small climbs and drops. Still a bit of mud, but not as bad as the day before. It stayed dry and soon the shell jackets came off as we warmed up. We made good time with a couple of stops for water and a snack, but with eyes on the cafe at the visitor centre, we were possibly spurred on by the thoughts of the famous Overland burger we’d been told was very good. Stopped by Platypus Bay on the way through, but didn’t see a thing. Finally, we arrived at the end of our seven days hiking. Signed out of the track. Bought a couple of cloth badges. Then hit the cafe for that burger, chips and a beer. The Overland transport company arrived and everyone went their different ways, ours off to Hobart where we have two nights planned to relax, sleep in a nice hotel bed, eat out and get a massage. I must say, that first night in a hotel room bed was a mind bend having come from the night before in Echo Point hut. With time, I’ll probably come to enjoy the fact we experienced staying in a small, basic hut like some of the original explorers through the area, but it will take a while to forget the rat’s kiss in the night.

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/18830918050

11km, 3-4hrs