"Journey to the End of the World"

    What do you want to do? What are you willing to do? Are you brave enough to venture to the mysterious and fearsome shores on the other side of the world to bring Jack back?

                                                —— *Pirates of the Caribbean*

    Tasmania, referred to in *Pirates of the Caribbean* as "the end of the world." In 1982, the Tasmanian Wilderness, as one of only three remaining temperate wilderness areas in the Southern Hemisphere, was inscribed on the World Heritage List. Because it is not connected to mainland Australia, its development has been relatively slow, thus preserving an exceptionally pristine and natural landscape. Towering peaks, deep glacial valleys, vast and desolate marshes, ancient sea cliffs, dense rainforests, and the most well-preserved and extensive temperate rainforests... It is here that Hayao Miyazaki built the dreamlike fairy-tale worlds in his works. It is also here that one of "the best hiking trails in the world," the Overland Track, lies hidden — a journey I have long dreamed of undertaking.

In September 2014, my wife Amy and I, as the champion team of the hiking category in the 8th "Endless Experience – GORE-TEX® Outdoor Dreams Realization Activity," and also the most unique "couple team" in this category to date, embarked on a six-day, 80-kilometer trek to complete the full traverse of the Overland Track.

    On September 28, with the jolting impact of the plane’s landing, I slowly opened my drowsy eyes and looked out the window — a scene of desolation, and it was this very desolation that told me: after more than half a year of preparation, we had finally arrived at the mysterious realm of my dreams — Tasmania. After a brief rest in Launceston, we headed to Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park and stepped onto the Overland Track — the best hiking trail in the world.

    The "best hiking trail" gave us the "bleakest sight" right from the start. Looking around the boardwalk, there was nothing but boundless wilderness, withered tree trunks, and low, sprawling grasslands. The overcast weather cast everything under a veil of clouds, making the scene even more desolate and eerie, like the gloomy atmosphere before the end of the world. Although I had seen countless photos of the national parks on overcast days before departure, when we first ventured deep into this landscape, we were still struck and overwhelmed by the endless barrenness. As the path climbed uphill, the trail grew steeper, and the wind grew stronger — in Amy’s words, a gust nearly knocked her off her feet. We had to zip up our fleece jackets and switch to GORE-TEX.