Travel from Lake St. Clair to Hobart

[dglad]

Hi there!

I am travelling to Australia in January and will spend a week in Tasmania. I have already booked my Overland Track permit and will be starting on a Monday. Because of time constraints I have to fly back to Melbourne on the following Friday which gives me 4 solid days to complete the track. I enjoy bushwalking all day and have thru-hiked a couple long distance tracks in North America.

Unfortunately it looks like Tassielink leaves Lake St. Clair for Hobart at 11:45 am on Thursdays and theres not another coach until 8:00pm Friday. I am going to take McDermotts to Cradle Mt. to start but any chartered bus shuttle to Hobart is really pricey.

Any ideas on the best way to get from Lake St. Clair to Hobart on a Friday leaving 11am-5pm?

Thanks and can't wait!

[Nuts]

Hitch? Really.. I think you've covered them all, you could see if one of those charters already have bookings. You may get lucky with someone (on here or the track) travelling at the same time..

Morning ferry, 9.30am?

Otherwise I'd suggest you have either- not enough time or- money, one of the two.. Four days is easy enough (fit and lightweight) but I wouldn't recommend. The track is often rough under foot, will see not much besides your shoes.

[dglad]

Is hitching common enough that it would give me a good chance to get all the way to Hobart? I need to be at the airport by 8pm so I would have all day to get there. Im also thinking of taking the Narcissus ferry in the morning or walk it in.

If anyone knows of another way to get from Lake St. Clair to Hobart on a Friday please let me know!

[corvus]

Mate you are possibly stretching the envelope on this one yes you may well get a ride to Hobart but you will then need a ride to the Airport,two many big perhaps IMHO and you will need to take the ferry to save time.
corvus

[matagi]

Which Friday are you looking at? If you post the date and maybe offer some financial incentive (like covering fuel costs), you may get lucky and someone may be heading down to Hobart who is prepared to collect you - although it is a hell of a detour if you are coming from the north, it's not so bad for someone coming from the west coast.

[Solohike74]

I have hitchhiked back, first car was friendly and got me to Derwent Bridge on the Highway, next one was some miner not sure if he was all there in the head he jettisoned me at Ouse, and then I waited up to an hour for an out of work forester, who's a little distrustful of "greenies" to drop me into Hobart. While its a short trip, we're not always picked up quickly, and people are becoming more selfish and less trusting each year in society, see it generally not just in relation to hitchhiking.

[Strider]

Is hitching common enough that it would give me a good chance to get all the way to Hobart?

Absolutely not.

I reckon only about 10-15 cars a day travel that road. Probably only half of those going in the direction you're going and most of which won't be interested in sharing a car with a smelly, unshowered bushwalker.

In 6 years of driving that road I can count the numbers of hitchhikers I saw on one hand. It just isn't a reliable enough mode of transport in such a remote area.

[ILUVSWTAS]

Is hitching common enough that it would give me a good chance to get all the way to Hobart?

Absolutely not.

I reckon only about 10-15 cars a day travel that road. Probably only half of those going in the direction you're going and most of which won't be interested in sharing a car with a smelly, unshowered bushwalker.

In 6 years of driving that road I can count the numbers of hitchhikers I saw on one hand. It just isn't a reliable enough mode of transport in such a remote area.

10-15 cars a day travel the lyell highway???

Is that what you meant?? really??

[north-north-west]

I reckon only about 10-15 cars a day travel that road. Probably only half of those going in the direction you're going ...

Que? Then why can you see more than fifty different cars in the carpark on two consecutive mornings? How did they all get there?

[frenchy_84]

YEah i would say 10-15 cars a day in summer is a big under estimation for Lake st clair to Hobs. However, i wouldnt want to have to rely on hitching to get back to catch a flight

[matagi]

Is hitching common enough that it would give me a good chance to get all the way to Hobart?

Absolutely not.

I reckon only about 10-15 cars a day travel that road. Probably only half of those going in the direction you're going and most of which won't be interested in sharing a car with a smelly, unshowered bushwalker.

In 6 years of driving that road I can count the numbers of hitchhikers I saw on one hand. It just isn't a reliable enough mode of transport in such a remote area.

Which road are you referring to?

If it is the A10/Lyell Hwy then there are many more than 10-15 cars a day on that road, even in the filthiest weather.

Or do you mean the Lake St Clair Rd?

[Strider]

Is hitching common enough that it would give me a good chance to get all the way to Hobart?

Absolutely not.

I reckon only about 10-15 cars a day travel that road. Probably only half of those going in the direction you're going and most of which won't be interested in sharing a car with a smelly, unshowered bushwalker.

In 6 years of driving that road I can count the numbers of hitchhikers I saw on one hand. It just isn't a reliable enough mode of transport in such a remote area.

Which road are you referring to?

If it is the A10/Lyell Hwy then there are many more than 10-15 cars a day on that road, even in the filthiest weather.

Or do you mean the Lake St Clair Rd?

Lyell Highway. There is very little traffic between Ouse and Queenie. Obviously more in summer, but still not enough to rely on hitching.

[frenchy_84]

amount of cars drop off dramatically once west of Lake st clair, but there is a fair bit of traffic to lake st clair in summer. I hitched from Lake Rufus Canal rd back to the lake, in about 1-2hrs, 3 cars went past and the third one picked me up.