Deep in the ancient, mist-shrouded Tarkine rainforest of northwest Tasmania, where towering myrtle trees block out the sun and the ground is a tangled carpet of ferns and fallen logs, a long-dormant mystery has suddenly stirred back to life. On a crisp Saturday morning in December 2025, more than two and a half years after 31-year-old Belgian backpacker Celine Cremer vanished without a trace, a private search team uncovered her Samsung mobile phone buried in the undergrowth near Philosopher Falls. The discovery – made by a seasoned local volunteer just meters from her last known GPS ping – has reignited hope, prompted police to rejoin the effort, and brought a flood of emotion from family and friends who have never stopped believing it’s time for her to come home.

Celine Cremer’s story began as a dream adventure turned nightmare. The vibrant art teacher from Bruges had been traveling solo across Australia since early 2023, embracing the freedom of the open road in her white Honda CRV. By June, she had fallen in love with Tasmania’s rugged beauty – its jagged mountains, pristine beaches, and endless hiking trails. On June 17, 2023, after stocking up on supplies in the tiny mining town of Waratah, she drove to the Philosopher Falls trailhead, a popular but remote spot about 73 kilometers south of Burnie. The walk was billed as an easy one-hour return trip: a gentle descent through lush rainforest to a multi-tiered waterfall cascading into a crystal-clear pool, often described as an “Alice in Wonderland” experience.

She parked her SUV in the small car park, left a note about her planned ferry booking back to the mainland, and set off alone. That was the last anyone heard from her. Nine days later, when she failed to board the Spirit of Tasmania ferry from Devonport, concerned friends in Belgium raised the alarm. Police quickly located her vehicle, untouched and locked, with her belongings inside – but no sign of Celine. Her phone’s last signal had pinged near the falls that fateful afternoon, pinpointing her location on the track before abruptly going silent.

What followed was one of Tasmania’s most intensive missing persons searches. Helicopters buzzed overhead, drones scanned the canopy, swiftwater rescue teams scoured creeks, and cadaver dogs sniffed through the dense bush. Hundreds of volunteers, including State Emergency Service personnel, combed the area grid by grid. Foul play was investigated early on but quickly ruled unlikely – no signs of struggle, no suspicious activity in the remote location. By early July 2023, with winter gripping the region in sub-zero temperatures, heavy rain, and occasional snow, experts concluded survival was impossible. The official ground search was suspended on July 10, leaving a heartbroken community and a family thousands of miles away in limbo.

Yet the Tarkine, one of the world’s largest temperate rainforests, is notorious for swallowing secrets. Its thick vegetation, steep gullies, and unpredictable weather have claimed lives before – prospectors in the 1800s vanished here, their stories etched on signs at the trailhead as eerie warnings. Celine, an experienced hiker who had trekked solo for months, seemed an unlikely victim. Theories abounded: perhaps she slipped on wet rocks near the falls, or veered off-track in fading light, becoming disoriented in the impenetrable scrub. Locals whispered of wild conditions, sudden fog banks, and the sheer vastness that could hide a person forever.

For over two years, the case faded into a painful quiet. Memorials sprung up at the trailhead – flowers, notes, a small plaque honoring the woman whose smile lit up photos shared worldwide. In Belgium, her mother and close friends kept a website alive, fundraising and pleading for information. Private investigator Ken Gamble, known for tackling cold cases, got involved in 2024, recovering new phone data that suggested Celine had left the marked path, possibly crossing a creek and climbing a ridge in an attempt to shortcut back to her car as daylight waned.

That data became the blueprint for renewal. In December 2025, four of Celine’s dearest friends flew from Belgium to Tasmania, joining local volunteers and Gamble’s team for a meticulously planned five-day private search. They based operations in Waratah, a tight-knit community that had adopted Celine as one of their own since her disappearance. Residents opened the Men’s Shed as a hub, donating food and supplies. Emotions ran high – hugs, tears, determined faces – as the group briefed on safety in the treacherous terrain.

The breakthrough came swiftly, almost miraculously, on the very first day. SES volunteer Tony Hage, a local legend who had joined over 20 solo searches in the area, spotted a glint in the foliage. There, partially concealed by leaves and damp earth, lay Celine’s distinctive Samsung phone – damp but intact, less than 100 meters from her final GPS coordinates. The Belgian friends immediately recognized its color and case. Hage later described the moment: his knees buckled as the reality sank in, a mix of elation and sorrow washing over the group. “You could see they were delighted something was positively found,” he recalled, though the joy was tempered by the grim implications.

Police were notified immediately. Within hours, Tasmania Police confirmed the device belonged to Celine and announced they would formally join the independent effort, deploying trained search and rescue officers once weather cleared. Inspector Andrew Hanson praised the “opportunistic” find, noting it aligned perfectly with their leading theory: Celine, relying on a mapping app, had bush-bashed off-track for a direct route to her car in dimming light, accidentally dropped the phone, and pressed on – only to become hopelessly lost in the dense, disorienting forest.

The discovery has breathed new life into the investigation. The phone, now undergoing forensic analysis, could yield crucial data – battery life, final photos, exact movements, or even voice notes. Searchers paused on Sunday amid rain, hail, and potential snow, but plans are to intensify efforts around the find site and projected paths beyond. Cadaver dogs may return; drones will sweep anew. For the first time in years, there’s a tangible trail to follow.

Back in Bruges, Celine’s mother received the news with a whirlwind of emotions – relief at progress, anguish at the renewed pain. Friends who made the long journey spoke of closure, of finally bringing their “sister” home. “It’s time,” one said quietly, echoing a sentiment shared across oceans. Waratah locals, who felt the loss deeply despite never meeting her, rallied harder. The small town, with its history of tin mining and vanished dreamers, now holds vigil once more.

Celine was more than a missing tourist; she was a free spirit chasing horizons. Friends remember her infectious laugh, her passion for art and nature, her fearless solo travels that inspired others. Photos show a woman with windswept hair, beaming against Tasmanian backdrops – Cradle Mountain sunsets, coastal cliffs, rainforest greens. She documented her journey on social media, captions full of wonder: “Living my best life down under.”

The Tarkine’s beauty is unforgiving, a reminder of nature’s power over human plans. Yet this phone – a small, battered lifeline unearthed after 912 days – has cracked open a door long thought sealed. As renewed searches push into the undergrowth, guided by fresh clues, the world watches and waits. Will it lead to answers, to remains, to the peace her loved ones crave? In a case defined by silence and vast emptiness, this discovery whispers possibility: after all this time, Celine may finally be guiding them to her.

The mystery of Philosopher Falls, shrouded in mist and memory, is unraveling thread by thread. For a family clinging to hope across continents, for volunteers braving the wild, and for a young woman lost too soon, the plea remains simple and profound: It’s time for her to come home.