Australia
Cradle Mountain
A jagged dolerite peak mirrors in Dove Lake beside the multi-day Overland Track.
Dove Lake lies beneath the jagged dolerite spires of Cradle Mountain, holding their reflection when the wind drops. Boardwalk, heath and glacial rock lead into a landscape that can change from clear to sleet within hours.
Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park protects glacial lakes, dolerite peaks, buttongrass moorland and ancient alpine vegetation in Tasmania's high country. Dove Lake's circuit and shorter boardwalks provide day-walk options, while the Overland Track is a booked multi-day undertaking requiring expedition equipment and serious weather judgement. Wombats, pademelons and wallabies live in the park, but weather and wildlife are never scheduled for a photograph.
Solo
Choose a day route or the booked Overland Track only with the equipment, experience and weather plan to travel independently.
Couple
Pair a Dove Lake or shorter high-country walk with a lodge base and a flexible weather day.
Friends
Prepare the Overland Track as a genuine expedition, sharing hut, weather and emergency responsibilities.
- Cradle Mountain's jagged dolerite profile rises above glacial Dove Lake.
- The Overland Track begins here as a booked multi-day route through moorland, forest and alpine country.
- Wombats and other marsupials live around the park, with sightings more likely than promised.
- Boardwalks, day circuits and longer climbs give several ways to read the glacial landscape.
Peppers Cradle Mountain Lodge; Tasmanian wallaby and local trout beside a log fire after the Overland Track.
Highland Restaurant; the lodge's fine dining option using Tasmanian produce from paddock to plate.
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