Cradle Mountain...

Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park is listed with the World Heritage Commission as one of the most precious places on earth. The area's beauty is the primary reason why it remains one of the most visited places in the State. One of the most magical sights in the world must be Cradle Mountain reflected in the still waters of Dove Lake - on the 32 days of the year when the mountain is not wreathed in mist!

This beautiful area is a place of quiet, rugged, uninhabited wilderness; a place of dark, mossy myrtle forests, crystal clear lakes and rivers, and totally protected wildlife and plants. The park, which has an area of 1,280 square kilometres and is one of the most glaciated areas in Australia, contains beautiful and unique vegetation, from temperate rainforest to delicate alpine plants. It has ancient King Billy pines that are over 1,500 years old.

Gustav Weindorfer, an Austrian botanist who became an expert on Tasmanian plants, first explored the Cradle Mountain area and opened it up. He and his Tasmanian wife, Kate Cowle, are almost revered by conservationists in Tasmania because of the hardship they suffered in living in and exploring the area they loved, in order for tourists to enjoy it. They opened Waldheim Chalet to tourists in 1912, and are responsible for naming Mt Kate, as well as Lake Dove and several others.

Cradle Mountain abounds with natural activities, from the demanding Overland Track (5 to 7 days, 85km), to more gentle walks that encompass the wilderness diversity that has made Cradle Mountain a Tasmanian icon.