Stef Gebbie is the horse-woman that is perhaps best known for riding 4500km from the Snowy River to Margaret River for ‘peace and quiet’- a concept many in the horse trekking community can relate to.
Stef returned from her epic seven-and-a-half month trek last year and now has a new adventurous trek in mind. This time round however, it might be a little shorter!
Stef’s next long-distance trek will be based in her native Tasmania. While the island state is known to horse-trekkers for it’s ‘Tasmanian Trail’, Stef mentions that a major consideration in planning a horse trek here is that in almost every National Park, horses are not permitted. The rough route Stef has mapped out (subject to change of course) is approximately 350km or so and follows minor rural roads and pleasant enough areas to explore by horseback. Her draft route is mapped below:
Stef’s advice to those planning a horse trek in Tasmania:
- Due to National Parks and its sheer remoteness, the whole western and southwestern half of the Tasmania is a no-go-zone with horses. Central, eastern and southeastern are more approachable.
- Tasmania also has a lot of lovely quiet rural roads to ride on, but also quite a lot of narrow winding roads with a surprising amount of traffic, especially in the summer with tourists.
- The Tasmanian Trail is a great resource- if you are interested, become a member and get a guide-book.
- Keep in mind that getting horses from the Mainland to Tasmania is quite expensive – about $700/horse one way on the ferry (last year).
Best of luck with your trek planning and preparation, Stef- we can’t wait to hear all about it!
Know of any fantastic Tasmanian Horse-trekking routes or campsite gems? Have any specific advice or tips to share with those planning a Tasmanian horse-trek? Share in the comments below!