3 reasons why you need to visit Cradle Mountain, Tasmania

On a recent road trip around Tasmania we spent 3 nights at Cradle Mountain. It was Autumn and if you know Tasmania at all that could mean that its a beautiful hot sunny day one day and snowing the next. The weather can be very unpredictable but luckily we had mostly beautiful clear days although it was still really cold! Cradle Mountain is one of those places that everyone says you should see but you don’t really know why until you get there.

 1. You get a real feeling of the power of mother nature

The first reason you should visit Cradle Mountain and Dove Lake for that matter is for the sheer sense of how tiny and fragile you actually are. You can really feel the power of mother nature in this area. Especially when the weather is acting crazy which is quite a regular occurrence at Dove Lake like it was the afternoon that I was photographing sunset. It was so cold I had to run behind the bush everytime I pressed the shutter button to try and get out of the ice cold winds.

2. Amazing hikes around the area

There are endless walks in the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park.

Dove Lake Circuit:

A fairly easy grade which makes this walk suitable for all ages and fitness levels, focusing on Cradle Mountain, temperate rainforests and sub alpine plant communities. Duration: 3 hours

Crater Lake:

An excellent walk which takes you to the Crater Falls and a magical forest with pandini and sassafras trees. Discover the hidden glacial lake surrounded by 200 meter cliffs covered with fagus. Great views of Marion’s Lookout and Crater Lakes. Duration: 3 hours. Medium Grade

Marions Lookout:

This is a moderate grade walk with some steep sections, so a reasonable degree of fitness is needed. On a clear day, this walk offers spectacular views of Cradle Mountain and Dove Lake.

This is the walk that we chose to do and there are parts that you need to pull yourself up the cliff by chain but the view at the top are worth the effort. Duration: 4 hours. Medium to Hard Grade. Random Fact: Don’t take Chicken Crimpy’s with you for food on a hike up a mountain. We were eating them at the top because thats all the food we had with us and read on the packet that you should not eat Chicken Crimpy’s at altitude! If anyone can tell me why, I would love to you! 🙂

Overland Track:

If you’re game you can try the six day Overland Track walk which is one of Australia’s most famous bush treks.  More than 8,000 walkers each year complete the track. Officially, the track runs for 65 km from Cradle Mountain to Lake St Clair.  My goal is to complete this trek at least once in my life! The track has many huts, enabling hikers to stay indoors every night. There is no booking system for huts, so it is mandatory for hikers to carry a tent in case there is no space available or there is an incident on the track.

3. You get a true sense of Australia

Ive never felt more like an Aussie than when I was in Tassie and especially around Cradle Mountain. The landscape is so Australian with endless gumtrees and grasslands and there is an absolute abundance of Australian wildlife running rampant. There are wombats, kangaroos, bilbys, possums, echidnas, etc everywhere. You can usually spot them by the side of the road. There is also a lot of road kill which is really sad.

Other than these three reasons is just stunningly beautiful and one of those places that you just won’t understand it until you’ve been there. Make sure you hang around for a sunset there because thats the best time to really feel the awesomeness of the place.

Have you been to Cradle Mountain in Tasmania? If so, what was your experience of it? I would love to know, so leave a comment below! 🙂