Camplify Uncovered | Hamish Lockett

If you haven’t stumbled across Hamish Lockett’s landscape photography on Instagram, consider this your lucky day. He’s got a knack for capturing Tasmania’s wild side, which isn’t surprising given his day job involves guiding hikers through Tassie’s celebrated wilderness. He recently hit the road with a Camplify van with a simple mission: embrace the cooler weather and Find Your Chill. Here’s how he got on.

Tell us about yourself. You’re a Tassie local, right?

Yep, so I live in Launceston and spend my time working as a tour guide and freelance photographer. I float between the two depending on the season. I guide hikes on the Overland Track, which are six-day tours, and then I do a lot of aerial photography and travel-related stuff, like Airbnb shoots. I love the outdoors, so I try to use my work to get out there as much as possible.

Where did your recent Camplify trip take you?

I decided to focus on the North East, heading to the east coast initially for some chill vibes. It was a lot of hanging out and enjoying some down time, though I did a sunrise hike up St Patrick’s Head for views of the coast. I went inland after that to check out a few waterfalls, and I’m really into trail running, so I spent some time running hills in the Great Western Tiers. I’m training for a race at the moment, so I went up Dry’s Bluff and a couple of other mountains to get some vertical in.

We asked you to Find Your Chill on this trip – what did that look like for you?

Trail running is my chill, I guess. I got into it for the meditative side, and whenever I’m running, I’m in the zone. It’s an ideal activity to plan a road trip around too. A lot of the time when I’m guiding, I’m talking to people non-stop, so whenever I can escape, a road trip is the best way to find my chill. The lead up to a race is a sick time to find some new trails and explore Tassie a little. It’s really relaxing, and there’s a good mix of stuff on the east coast.

What was your van like?

It had a high-top and heaps of space too, but it was still cosy, which was great because it’s pretty cold at the moment. There was a comfy bed and all the cooking essentials; a perfect little van, actually. It was called Bertie.

Any tips for embracing winter and getting outdoors despite the cold?

I guess you just need to be prepared for it. In Tassie, the weather can dip at any time, but it feels like people think that the weather during the quiet season is constantly bad. It’s usually not too bad, actually, especially if you’ve got the right gear. A bit of rain is okay and that’s what makes Tassie a pretty lush place; you might have to do something different, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

I wouldn’t change a road trip dramatically for the winter, but I’d say to spend more time on the coast as the weather tends to be better. Get out to some of those islands, like Bruny and Maria. I’d also duck inland towards Cradle Mountain and the North West because a bit of rain doesn’t hurt those areas; if anything, it brings them to life.

Any big adventures planned for the rest of the year?

I’m actually heading overseas at the end of May for an indefinite period. First to the Philippines with a mate for a month, then hiking in Taiwan, then over to Europe. Mainly to do a lot of hiking and trail running. I want to do a big, 30-day hike through the Pyrenees [Mountains], in Europe, but the tropics will mainly be a lot of trail running. It’s pretty mountainous and we’re eyeing off a few things

Keen to replicate Hamish’s adventure and Find Your Chill this winter? Hire a van in Tasmania and take to the trails yourself.