Memorable moments: The Cradle Mountain cookbook

In 2015, I went on a road trip to Tasmania with a group of friends. It was a trip defined by incredible landscapes and some of the best hiking in the country, but the moment that stuck with me most happened far away from the trailheads.

We had stopped off at the Cradle Mountain gift shop, browsing through the usual souvenirs, when I stumbled upon a book that stopped me in my tracks. It was a cookbook entirely dedicated to the culinary preparation of fresh "road krill."

Tasmania is famous for its abundant wildlife, but that also means a tragic number of marsupials end up as casualties on the road. This book took that reality to its most extreme, "redneck" conclusion. It featured full-color recipes for dishes that sounded like they belonged in a dark-comedy fever dream: Wombat Soufflé and Roast Rack of Kangaroo.

But the detail that truly killed me was the suggestion for presentation. The author recommended that, for the ultimate local touch, one should use echidna quills as kebab spikes.

Whether the book was a genuine guide to bush survival or a brilliant piece of performance art designed to mess with tourists, I couldn't say. But as I stood there in the shadow of one of Australia's most beautiful mountains, looking at a recipe for a marsupial soufflé, I realized that Tasmania doesn't just embrace its "out-there" reputation—it marinades it and serves it on a spike.

Memorable moments: The $1 heartbreak

I have always loved a good shower, but two specific experiences stand out in my memory—one representing the pinnacle of human pleasure, the other a descent into cold, shivering despair.

In 2001, I tackled the Annapurna circuit in Nepal. It was a three-week trek through the staggering beauty of the Himalayas, but it came with a catch: for the first two weeks, there were no showers to be found. By the time we arrived in a small mountain town that offered hot water, I was more trail-dust than man.

That shower was the closest thing to religious bliss I have ever experienced. I didn't just stand there; I sat on the floor and rocked to and fro in utter ecstasy as the hot water hammered down on me. In that steaming cubicle, I made a silent, solemn vow to the universe: I will never take a hot shower for granted again.

Fourteen years later, the universe decided to test that vow.

I was hiking with friends near Lake St. Clair in Tasmania. It had been a long, miserable day of trekking through relentless rain. I was soaked to the bone and shivering with a deep, internal cold. When we finally made it back to the campsite, the sight of a shower block felt like a hallucination of salvation.

I hurried inside, fumbled out of my sodden clothes, and stood naked in the cubicle, trembling with anticipation. I reached for the handle, ready for that Himalayan heat—and saw the sign that broke my heart: INSERT $1 FOR HOT WATER.

Chuntering under my breath, I frantically searched my discarded clothes. I found notes. I found 50-cent pieces. I even found a $2 coin. But the elusive $1 gold coin was nowhere to be found.

There is a specific kind of fury that comes from standing naked and freezing in front of a machine that demands exactly what you don't have. Swearing at the injustice of it all, I had to pull my wet, cold clothes back onto my shivering body and head back out into the rain in search of a dollar.

Hobart

Russell and I spent our last day in Hobart.  The highlight was driving up to the top of Mount Wellington to find a cache and do a bit of an impromptu photoshoot.  

The doggies at the hostel where we stayed.

Mount Fields

I love Mount Fields with its giant trees and its sublime alpine scenery.  There was a lot of mist on the high mountain so the views were blocked but it was great fun to hike through the thick snow. 

Hiking in the mountains

Hiking in the forest

We moved down from the freezing mountains into the warmer forest and explored all the lovely waterfalls.  Russell also got lots of geocaching in, finding 7 caches along the way.

Views between Mount Field and the motel where we stayed

Launceston

We explored the Cataract Gorge on the "inclinator" and then admired their resident peacocks.  

Roger and Jocelyn stayed on in Launceston as they needed to get the ferry back to Melbourne the next day.  Russell and I hired a car and drove to Mount Fields as we had two days left to explore.

If you look carefully, you can see the little Joey.

Near Cradle Mountain

Tasmania experienced its biggest snow fall of the year just before we went.  Unfortunately this meant that Cradle Mountain and Dove Lake were inaccessible but this didn't stop us from having lots of playful fun in the snow.  

A cute wombat foraging in the snow

Waterfall Walk

The lodge where we stayed had two awesome walks in the surrounding mountains with some beautiful waterfalls.  It was wonderful to get out into the mountains again with Russell.