Cradle Mountain

30 January - 2 February 2022

Cradle Mountain has been a favourite since we first visited in 2004 so we were keen to add a few days again this year. The price of accommodation has skyrocketed, but we were fortunate to get a special mid-week deal on a cabin at the caravan park. While not as flash as the other accommodation we have stayed in there, it was perfectly adequate for our needs, and still in a nice bushy setting. The decision not to take the camper trailer was easy - the weather at Cradle can be very unpredictable and very cold, even in the middle of summer. 

We like to take different travel routes when we can so this time we decided on a drive through the highlands. Leaving Hobart we travelled up the Midlands Highway then stopped for a coffee and a look at the lake at Oatlands. From there we turned off towards Interlaken. This was a very beautiful drive but we were surprised at the amount of traffic. We made a quick stop at Interlaken to check the map against what the GPS was trying to get us to do. The GPS said right, but my gut and the map said left, so left it was. If we had followed the GPS we would have gone all the way back to the highway!

By going left we continued through the mountain and forest, passing farmlands and lakes, to join the Highland Lakes Road. We continued on to Miena where we stopped for lunch at the hotel. This is a popular spot, with a very large group arriving just after we had ordered. The service and food was good and we certainly enjoyed the view of Great Lake while we ate. From there it was on through Deloraine, then Sheffield and on to Cradle Mountain.

The day was still mild and sunny when we arrived so we settled in and went for a walk around the caravan park and surrounds. We decided to leave the National Park walks until the next day. 

On Monday morning the forecast was again for a sunny day, with temperatures in the low 20's - quite hot for this part of Tasmania. After much deliberation we decided that we would tackle a walk we hadn't done before - Crater Lake Circuit. The description of this walk is almost identical to Dove Lake Circuit which we have walked a number of times - 2-3 hours and moderate sounded fine to us. We knew it would probably take us longer than the estimate as we stop often to take in the scenery and to photograph birds, so we packed snacks, lunch and wet weather gear - we know things can change very quickly in the mountains.

We stopped in at the visitor centre to obtain our bus tickets - free with your National Parks Pass - and waited for the bus to Dove Lake. New rules are in place and private vehicles cannot travel up to Dove Lake at all, and can only travel to Ronny Creek and Waldheim outside of the bus operating hours, unless with a bus escort. 

The bus drivers provide some commentary on the trip from the visitor centre to Dove Lake and stop at the Interpretation Centre and Ranger Station, Snake Hill and Ronny Creek to set down and pick up passengers. We arrived at Dove Lake and set off on our walk just after 9:30am. Crater Lakes Circuit starts from The Boatshed on Dove Lake and then continues on to Lake Lilla. We have done this part of the walk a couple of times, in both directions and it is a very pleasant walk. That's where the easy stuff ends - from there it was a bit of a climb up to Wombat Pool. We have been that far before too and I remember struggling up all the stairs - I am older and no fitter so again I struggled. 

This walk had been my idea so I couldn't bail out and just had to keep going. Just when we thought we were almost at the top, there were more stairs! We were using hiking poles and stopping frequently but we still found it very hard going. Fortunately we weren't the only ones finding it a bit hard and were encouraged on by other walkers. At one stage the "track" ascended over a large rock, at which point Mick suggesed I make the call to continue or go back. I chose to continue. When we finally made it to the junction point where you can continue on to Marion's Lookout and the Overland Track or go back down to Ronny Creek, we were rewarded with the most magnificent views of Dove Lake, Lake Lilla and Wombat Pool. So many people were, like us, having an extended break at the lookout - getting ready for the next part of their walk.  

After a good rest we continued along the edge of Crater Lake and made our way to The Boatshed where we stopped for lunch and marvelled at the thought of bringing a boat all the way up there. The walk from there was mostly downhill and went through some very pretty forest with a waterfall and  creek with beautiful clear water where Mick refilled our water bottle. This is part of the Overland Track and we passed quite a few serious hikers setting off on this 6 day trek. I guess we can say we have walked the Overland Track - just the beginning and also a small section at the end at Lake St Clair. 

Once we reached the junction where the boardwalk continued on to Ronny Creek, Dove Lake or Waldheim, we chose the shortest route back and headed for Ronny Creek. This meant we didn't complete the full circuit but we were exhausted. We had previously walked from Ronny Creek to Dove Lake so didn't feel like we were missing out. The stair climbing (up and down) on this walk had been a struggle for both of us - it was hot and we were exhausted. It is so much harder than Dove Lake Circuit but after a good rest we both agreed it had been worth the effort.

The following morning we decided to walk the Dove Lake Circuit. It was another beautiful day with little chance of rain, but we did take raincoats just in case. This walk is the most popular in the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, and is on most visitors' "must do" list. The description of a "moderate" grade is accurate - there are a few uphill sections, some stairs and some rough surfaces, but most of it is on smooth track with some boardwalk sections. There are a number of places to stop and enjoy the view, including a couple of sandy beaches. Most people complete the track, as suggested by National Parks, in a clockwise direction. By doing this the first point of interest is Glacier Rock and the last is The Boatshed - both provide great photo opportunities. 

We usually stay at Cradle Mountain for three nights to give us two full days in the hope that at least one will provide suitable walking conditions so we were very fortunate to get two almost perfect days - just a bit hotter than we would have liked. Hotter, except for our final night when the temperature had  dropped to 2° when we woke at about 7:00am. We took our time to pack up as we were still uncertain about whether we would return to Hobart of go somewhere else. We decided to take a scenic route to Campbell Town, check the weather, and then decide.

Leaving Cradle Mountain we drove through Miena, then turned towards Sheffield, the way we had come in, but this time we took the road to Liena. This windy road has some fabulous views as it passes close to Mount Roland. Eventually we made it to Mole Creek, then back on the highway to Campbell Town.

We stopped for lunch and checked the weather - we had noticed strong winds had been forecast so were pleased to see that the recorded winds were much lower than expected. We decided to head for Scamander and see what accommodation we could get for a couple of nights.