Exploring northern Tasmania
January 2018 I visited Tasmania, I began my trip in Hobart, went to the east coast and then finished up in Launceston. I ended up liking the area around Launceston and so planned to return to explore more of northern Tasmania.
For this return trip I happened to be in Tasmania while the rest of Australia was experiencing a heatwave with temperatures in the 40s (Celsius! 100sF), Tasmania also was experiencing a heatwave but there it meant high 20s! Perfect weather as far as I was concerned, I don't like being cold!
Cradle Mountain is one of Tasmania's best known destinations and so it was on my list of places to see. I had stayed in Devonport the night before, from Devonport to Cradle Mountain, it's a reasonable drive of 90 minutes or so, not because of the distance but mainly as the road winds around the elevated landscape. The first stop at the National Park is the visitors' centre to buy the pass for entrance to the park. I was very surprised how crowded the carpark was! But then again, it was a Sunday, the school holidays and a beautiful day, it seems to visitors were not just car groups but also organised bus tours. Perfectly timed it to have an early lunch in the visitors' centre cafe (escape the crowds!) and then hopped on the shuttle bus.
The shuttle bus helps control the amount of traffic going down to Dove Lake, just as well the road down narrows quite considerably in places, would hate to drive down with RVs and camper vans coming the other way. The bus drivers communicate by radio as to when a large bus in coming, so the minibuses stop and pull over to let them pass. There are a few different stops on the way to Dove Lake, but it seems most people (including me!) get out at Dove Lake.
There's a walk that goes around the lake, so I set off with the crowds, thinking 'so much for a peaceful stroll through nature!' Not everyone attempts the whole circumnavigation of the lake and the crowds do die down, I went clockwise and most people seemed to walk to Glacier Rock and then turned back.
Most of the walk is fairly easy and flat but there are parts where there are steps to climb up and down, the headland in the middle of this photo was one of those places! Going clockwise you hit the steep parts an hour into your hike so it's not something you're pleased about!
A section of the path going through a forested area, very pleasant on a warm day!
Up close and personal to Cradle mountain, there is a summit hike for those who are keen enough to do the climb. This closeup was fine with me!
There are a few small islands on the lake, in the morning there were people canoeing on the lake which looked like a lovely peaceful thing to do.
Climbing up the headland and looking down to the lake.
The Ballroom Forest, a pretty area of unusually shaped trees, somewhere that set designers get ideas from for fantasy movies.
Once I achieved my circumnavigation of the lake, it took about 2 hours with a few stops, I hopped back on the shuttle bus for one more stop.
There are some easy short walks near the Ranger Station stop, so I went to see Pencil Falls. That little stroll was a 15 minute one!
Then it was back to the Visitors' Centre and a fortifying coffee! Experiencing the park on a warm day was perfect for me, the lake was an incredible blue colour. Whilst there were a lot of people there, it never felt overpoweringly crowded. Walking around the lake you met people doing that whole 'we're in this thing together' friendliness as you overtake then only for them to overtake you further ahead! There are a few beach areas down by the lake, with small pebbles not sand! These were popular with families for lakeside picnics and a few brave souls ventured into the water.
There are longer hikes, and Cradle Mountain is the start of the Overland Track which ends at Lake St Clair, 65km away and takes 6 days to complete. (For the serious hikers!!) I was quite happy with doing one large hike (around the lake) and a small stroll (to Pencil Falls). Visiting Cradle Mountain is a wonderful way to spend a day when visiting Tasmania.
January 2018 I visited Tasmania, I began my trip in Hobart, went to the east coast and then finished up in Launceston. I ended up liking the area around Launceston and so planned to return to explore more of northern Tasmania.
For this return trip I happened to be in Tasmania while the rest of Australia was experiencing a heatwave with temperatures in the 40s (Celsius! 100sF), Tasmania also was experiencing a heatwave but there it meant high 20s! Perfect weather as far as I was concerned, I don't like being cold!
Cradle Mountain is one of Tasmania's best known destinations and so it was on my list of places to see. I had stayed in Devonport the night before, from Devonport to Cradle Mountain, it's a reasonable drive of 90 minutes or so, not because of the distance but mainly as the road winds around the elevated landscape. The first stop at the National Park is the visitors' centre to buy the pass for entrance to the park. I was very surprised how crowded the carpark was! But then again, it was a Sunday, the school holidays and a beautiful day, it seems to visitors were not just car groups but also organised bus tours. Perfectly timed it to have an early lunch in the visitors' centre cafe (escape the crowds!) and then hopped on the shuttle bus.
The shuttle bus helps control the amount of traffic going down to Dove Lake, just as well the road down narrows quite considerably in places, would hate to drive down with RVs and camper vans coming the other way. The bus drivers communicate by radio as to when a large bus in coming, so the minibuses stop and pull over to let them pass. There are a few different stops on the way to Dove Lake, but it seems most people (including me!) get out at Dove Lake.
There's a walk that goes around the lake, so I set off with the crowds, thinking 'so much for a peaceful stroll through nature!' Not everyone attempts the whole circumnavigation of the lake and the crowds do die down, I went clockwise and most people seemed to walk to Glacier Rock and then turned back.
Most of the walk is fairly easy and flat but there are parts where there are steps to climb up and down, the headland in the middle of this photo was one of those places! Going clockwise you hit the steep parts an hour into your hike so it's not something you're pleased about!
A section of the path going through a forested area, very pleasant on a warm day!
Up close and personal to Cradle mountain, there is a summit hike for those who are keen enough to do the climb. This closeup was fine with me!
There are a few small islands on the lake, in the morning there were people canoeing on the lake which looked like a lovely peaceful thing to do.
Climbing up the headland and looking down to the lake.
The Ballroom Forest, a pretty area of unusually shaped trees, somewhere that set designers get ideas from for fantasy movies.
Once I achieved my circumnavigation of the lake, it took about 2 hours with a few stops, I hopped back on the shuttle bus for one more stop.
There are some easy short walks near the Ranger Station stop, so I went to see Pencil Falls. That little stroll was a 15 minute one!
Then it was back to the Visitors' Centre and a fortifying coffee! Experiencing the park on a warm day was perfect for me, the lake was an incredible blue colour. Whilst there were a lot of people there, it never felt overpoweringly crowded. Walking around the lake you met people doing that whole 'we're in this thing together' friendliness as you overtake then only for them to overtake you further ahead! There are a few beach areas down by the lake, with small pebbles not sand! These were popular with families for lakeside picnics and a few brave souls ventured into the water.
There are longer hikes, and Cradle Mountain is the start of the Overland Track which ends at Lake St Clair, 65km away and takes 6 days to complete. (For the serious hikers!!) I was quite happy with doing one large hike (around the lake) and a small stroll (to Pencil Falls). Visiting Cradle Mountain is a wonderful way to spend a day when visiting Tasmania.
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