Tasmania
Cradle Mountain
Sean Robertson / Unsplash
Tasmania's iconic wilderness — UNESCO glacial lakes, dolerite peaks, wombats at dusk, and the Overland Track's northern trailhead.
Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park is Tasmania's — and arguably Australia's — most spectacular wilderness landscape: the jagged dolerite peaks of Cradle Mountain rise 1545 metres above Dove Lake, a glacially-carved tarn whose reflection of the mountain is the most reproduced image of the Australian wilderness. The Dove Lake circuit (6km, 2–3 hours) is accessible to most walkers and delivers the full impact of the landscape without requiring multi-day commitment. Wombats, wallabies, and Tasmanian devils (nocturnal) inhabit the area around the Visitor Centre. The Overland Track — 65km to Lake St Clair, 5–7 days — begins here and is rated among the world's great multi-day wilderness walks.
Scores
Walkability
Transit
Price
Local feel
Nightlife
Family-friendly
Centrality
What you gain
- ↑The Dove Lake Circuit (6km loop, 2–3 hours) requires no special equipment or fitness beyond regular walking shoes — yet delivers one of the world's genuinely great landscape walks: the Cradle Mountain massif, the boatshed on the lake's edge, and the alpine flora of the Waldheim area all within a morning
- ↑Wildlife sightings at Cradle Mountain are reliable: wombats graze the meadows around the Visitor Centre and Waldheim at dusk without fencing or feeding — the most accessible genuine wildlife encounter in Australia. Eastern quolls and Tasmanian devils are present on the night wildlife tours run from Cradle Mountain Lodge
- ↑The Overland Track booking system (Parks Tasmania, quota of 60 walkers per day, October to May) means that unlike most wilderness routes, the track remains genuinely uncrowded — completing it is a life-experience calibre undertaking requiring 5–7 days and advance planning
What you sacrifice
- ↓Cradle Mountain has no town — accommodation is confined to the Cradle Mountain Lodge, the Peppers resort, and a handful of self-catering chalets within the national park. There is no petrol station, supermarket, or pub within 80km. All provisions must be brought in
- ↓Access requires a car or the Tassielink shuttle from Launceston (2.5 hours) or Devonport (2 hours). The mountain weather changes rapidly regardless of season — the Cradle plateau is notoriously exposed and the western weather front arrives without much warning
Best for
Avoid if
Other Tasmania neighbourhoods
Tasmania's cultural hub — the Salamanca Market, MONA ferry, Battery Point village, and the island's best waterfront.
Tasmania's second city — Cataract Gorge a 10-minute walk from the centre, Tamar Valley wines, and Mole Creek cave systems.
Wineglass Bay lookout, pink granite boulders, and the most-photographed beach in Australia stretching north to the Bay of Fires.
Know where to stay — now find when to go.
Best time to visit Tasmania →