I only just turned 18 years old, but I am never someone who let’s their age get in the way of me doing what I want.
The hardest part for me is often not having a license, but when travelling somewhere by plane that’s not such a big problem.
At the end of high school I walked the Three Capes Track in Tasmania. I went with two of my bestfriends (who were also under 18) and my sister (who was 20). For the walk, there did need to be someone over 18 to get permission to walk it, however the great thing about this walk was the ease of shuttle services to and from Hobart. For what we were doing, hiring a car would have been incredibly expensive so instead we investigated other options.
Unlike the Overland Track (which has an extremely long shuttle to and from Launceston), the Three Capes Track is only about 2 hours away from Hobart and the services are reasonably cheap. For us, the Penicott Wilderness Journys provided what we needed at a reasonable price, and because they also do the boat trip to the start of the track and the shuttle from the end to Port Arthur, the timing also matched up and we did not have to wait around for buses.
We decided to stay at the Green Frog Hostel in Hobart before and after the hike in a private 4 person bedroom. The hostel was super groovy and we could leave our stuff for Hobart in a locked room while we were off walking (without charge). The walk to the CBD and the shuttle service wasn’t far and the price was once again very reasonable.
Because of the great accommodation on the walk as well, my friends did not have to buy tents and sleeping mats etc which cut down the cost of equipment, however the walk itself was quite pricey (although you can get nearly $100 off adult price by being under 18).
Overall, this walk was a great schoolies adventure and super stress free. While the ease of access does attract a lot of older people, it applies still for younger people and I would definitely recommend a trip to Tassy for anyone thinking of doing something similar!
Sarah Wanders & Wonders 