Cradle Mountain

CMNP — officially Cradle Mountain-Lake Clair National Park — is Tasmania’s iconic park. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site … in the midst of 1.4 million hectares of wilderness. When thinking about that number, keep in mind that all of Tasmania is approximately 6.81 million hectares, of which nearly 49% is forested. Plans are ongoing to conserve and protect even more land as monies become available and opportunities present themselves.

The landscape at CMNP is alpine in nature … described in the brochure as “rugged peaks, windswept moors, glacial lakes and tarns, and deep gorges clothed in tall, ancient forests.”

Private vehicles are only allowed to enter CMNP before the shuttle buses start operating at 8:00a … and again after they stop at 6:00p. The problem in the morning is that if too many cars enter, the sensor shuts down the gate and a light starts flashing. One has to then wait … and wait … and wait for a vehicle to exit and the light to go steady before being granted access. And then 8:00a comes around … and well, you’re out of luck.

Our time at CMNP is supposed to be for “taking it easy.” Meaning, we aren’t rushing off to do this, that, and everything. No early morning wake up just to drive into the park either. Instead, we picked up shuttle tickets to use at our leisure.

When we jiggled our plans after our Enchanted Walk, we initially thought to move the hike planned for tomorrow to today. “Nah,” we thought to ourselves once we got to Dove Lake. Just a short hike today would suffice … more of a stroll down to the Dove Lake Boat Shed for the postcard shots the ranger at the Visitor Center had recommended.

What a difference I. The weather conditions today from when we popped over to Dove Lake yesterday after dinner. Where the surface of the lake was ruffled with white caps then, it was flat calm with only the occasional ripple today. Where the freezing temps had us shivering then, we were debating taking off our outer layers today. Where iconic Cradle Mountain was veiled by mist and starting to wear its cloud cloak then, it was “out” and the air was crystal clear today. Indeed, picture postcard perfect!

After enjoying our brief sojourn into the park, we returned to the lodge for lunch at the Tavern and a relaxing afternoon in the cabin. And a few chores … namely, re-balancing the weight in our checked bags for our flight out to the mainland on the 6th.

And then, off to visit with some carnivores!Read more