I chose to drive and take the ferrie across mostly because it was cheaper and also because I could rely on myself for transport in Tasmania. I didn't know the area that well so it made things a bit easier. Due to my time in a cast, I'd planned every last detail including reviewing the route over and over so I could have almost walked it with my eyes closed. The general plan was to start on the Huon Track, walk in to Cracroft Crossing and then on up to Pass Ck to leave a food drop. From there I'd head along McKays Track to Junction Ck and then up Alpha Moraine and along the Western Arthurs. From Lake Roseanne I'd take Lucifer Ridge down to Pass Creek, pick up my food drop and then head along the Eastern Arthurs, up Fed and then out via Farmhouse Creek. That was the plan and that's exactly what I did.
The start of the walk was a bit of a nervous time for me. My ankle was weak and prone to inflamation bue to the two screws which ha been drilled into it months before. This was a problem that was to persist for the whole trip, and to some extent, for years to come. I knew that there was only one way to get better and that was to use it for what it was made for. I'd already done some training and knew atleast that I could carry my load and put in a solid days walking. I finished the first day only a short way along the Huon track at Blake's shelter.
The following day I headed to Cracroft Crossing. This day was a good introduction to Tassie bushwalking, with heaps of mud, tiger snakes, and a couple of river crossings. I was exilerated to come over some low ridges and finally see the Arthurs up close. I was finally where I'd planned to be and could recognize some of the features I'd examined on maps in my living room in Canberra. I chatted to a couple of blokes who were camped at Cracroft Crossing and pitched my tent for the evening. I calculated the time it had taken me and realised that the time in Chapman's guidebook were a bit faster than mine. 
The next day I wondered up to Pass Ck and hung my food drop in the scrub at the back of the camp. Said my prayers that it would be there on my return. I then returned to Cracroft for the night. On day four of my trip I headed from Cracroft along McKays Track crossing nine mile and seven mile creek. I was continually amazed at wandering along bare button grass plains into small copses of trees, only to find myself in dense damp forrests momentarily before emerging out the other side. It was like walking from one world into another. I got a bit lost at seven mile creek following the wrong muddy track towards Kappa Moraine. I camped that night at the small campsite between Junction Creek and Alpha Moraine. 
On day five I ascended Alpha Moraine and found myself on the Western Arthurs and got my first glimpses towards Lake Peddar. I went down and visited Lake Fortuna and then moved on to Lake Cygnus. I camped on a platform in the trees. On day six I headed out from Cygnus. I passed a group of six, mostly retired age walkers. I ended up stopping for a chat at Square Lake and then sharing a camp with them at Oberon. It was much easier going for me with a fairly light pack and on my own. The group were sharing pack hauling duties and took much longer between sections. 
On day seven I headed out from Lake Oberon and up to High Moor. The group I'd passed had said that the section from Oberon to High moor would be slightly more challenging at it was a bit. When I arrived at High Moor I was pretty buggered. The camp was absolutely amazing and a beautiful sight on a clear day, which I'd had every day so far with the exception of rain at Blake's shelter on day one. I wandered up onto Mt Columba to take photos at dusk and shared the camp that evening with the group I'd met earlier.
Day eight saw me up nice and early and heading across the Beggary Bumps. I had a little trouble with route finding at the first instant and might have looked a bit silly from the view back at high moor. The beggary bumps were pretty tough and I was amazed at how the route found a passage through such rough terrain. I made it to Haven Lake around lunchtime. I noticed all the tadpoles in various stages of development inspecting my legs as I crossed the creek towards the camp. It was only lunchtime so I had a rest and pushed on. I headed up to Kappa Moraine and then headed on for the fairly rough section from kappa Moraine to Promontory Lake. When I finally made it I was pretty buggered and kept on mistaking patches of grass for the camp. I eventually found it and ran into two friendly blokes who were camped there for a couple of days before heading down Kappa.
On day nine I mucked around a bit getting to the track head on the open saddle. I was wondering which one was the Phoenix. Eventually I made it to the foot of West Portal and pushed on along towards the crags of Andromeda without summiting. I ended up passing by Lake Rosanne, pretty buggered at that stage, getting a water refill and then slogging it down to Pass Creek via Lucifer Ridge. Got down to the camp and grabbed my food drop. I didn't need it, but it was a relief. I decided to have a rest day at Pass creek and let my ankle recover a bit. Pass Creek is a pretty crappy place to spend a day.
Day eleven I headed up from Pass Creek towards Federation. I passed Stuart Saddle admiring the nice tent platforms in the trees, complete with water tank. I headed up past Goon Moor and all the way up to Federation. I passed a guide taking photos at the foot of Federation who looked at me strangely. I was a bit dehydrated and buggered at that stage and I completely missed the turnoff to Hanging Lake. I was trying to make Federation by nightfall. I made it to the direct ascent junction and dumped my kit. I searched for a route up but in my state of fatigue I didn't want to risk anything drastic. The hieghts didn't bother me at all but my nav can get a bit wonky when I'm buggered. I headed back to Hanging Lake for the night. There was a group already down there, complete with two guides from Sydney who hadn't been to Federation either. 
On day twelve I headed up Federation first thing in the morning. Finding the summit was pretty straight forward and a sat at the top, euphoric at having made it. I took some photos from the top of Precipitous Bluff and anything else I can think of, and then descended down. The pics were'nt actually that great because from the top of Federation, you're standing on the best part of the Eastern Arthurs. Still it was a perfect blue sky day. I forgot to find the log book which was a bit of a bummer. I headed down to Bechervaise Plateau and then on to Cutting Camp. I decided to push on through cutting camp seing as all the excitement had boiled down to a muddy track in the forrest, but I didn't find the next camp by dusk and ended up bivying in a shitty damp forrest with no tent. I'm glad it wasn't raining too but I did pick up a couple of ticks during the night.
Day thirteen saw the end of the trip.I didn't enjoy the nav much in this section. The muddy tracks around the Cracroft River were confusing and unreliable. There was a fair bit of trail marking tape of various colors consistantly going in the wrong direction. You should need a license for that stuff. The other tricky section was South Picton Saddle. After walking on a defined track for nearly two weeks having it dissapear in the beautiful green woods stumped me a bit. It was only a small section and resolved itself quickly. I was heading across Farmhouse Creek pretty shortly after that. I then found myself back on firetrails heading towards my car which was at the other end of Riveaux Rd. After a couple of hours a car came past. I flagged it down and after a 45 minute detour it turned around and picked me up. The driver offered my a bag of snakes, some soda and a puff of his joint. I accepted the first two. Within 20 minutes I was back at my car. 
Out of the thirteen days I was hiking it only rained on the first night as far as I can recall. I was pretty lucky because that meant that the mud was not as deep and the creeks weren't swollen. It was a bit of a dream run and I put it down to beginners luck. It was my first trip in Tassie and it was absolutely fantastic.
