April 2025 - Cradle Mountain

This Cradle Mountain adventure was one out of the box. Many thanks to Caroline for persisting with organising our motley crew following the difficult initial decision to defer our original plan to visit in May 2024 due to the lousy weather forecast. Instead we opted for 2025 and a little earlier in the year, when there would be a greater likelihood of dryer weather and a high likelihood of seeing the famed "turning of the fagus".

We booked two eight bed cabins at Waldheim Cabins and sensibly decided to limit our numbers to 6 pax per cabin, to give us more room. As a bonus, we discovered on arrival that Karana1 and Karana2 cabins are actually conjoined, so that communication and getting together as a whole group would be very easy. There were twelve adventurers: Caroline, Warren, Wayne, Gerwyn, Bob, Maryanne, Kat, Philip, Lyn, Fin, Di and David.

For several of us the journey started before our arrival date, as we took opportunities to visit friends and family on the way up or in the North or NorthWest. This was a good way to break up the long drive from Hobart to Cradle. [Side note: 3 out of our 6 vehicles on this trip were electric, yay!].

Day 1 - travelling to Cradle Mountain

Di, David and Maryanne had their first drama when leaving Maryanne and Michael's cosy shack at Miena. 200m down the bumpy dirt road, driver Di was remarking how clear the back window was. Suddenly we realised that the back door was in fact OPEN, and bags of our precioius gear were lying on the road behind us! There was a quick halt and a run back to pick them up (we were very lucky that there was no traffic and no damage) and when we drove back to the shack to check we found yet another bag had fallen out only metres into our trip(!). We figured we hadn't closed the back door properly...

Some of us caught up over lunch at Sheffield - the Epicurean Cafe was a nice find, with good coffee and snacks. We all twelve rendezvous'ed at the Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre at 3pm, where we quickly realised it was time to start putting on the woollies! We registered our vehicles at the desk and the drivers supplied their national parks passes to the staff. We were then told the rules for how we could drive into the national park, as most vehicles are excluded for road safety reasons. We were to wait at the first bus stop inside the park, and then when a Cradle visitor bus came past, up to three vehicles at a time could slipstream behind it. This arrangement gives the cars protection from oncoming traffic on these very narrow and winding roads. The system works very well, we found.

We found that there was room for our 6 vehicles to park at our large double cabin, and we unloaded our gear. Most of us had opted for a linen pack to be supplied, and we found that these were ample, with the supplied doona being quite cosy. Unfortunately one of the packs was missing, so it was lucky that Fin had thought to bring her own bedding just in case! Caroline had arranged for a distribution of bodies between the two cabins based on night time snoring propensity, haha. We found the cabins simply but comfortably appointed, with an unexpectedly large fridge, and proceeded to settle in with a cup of tea and/or a beer.

Scouts checked out the nearby toilet and shower blocks, and a little picnic table with a view wasn't far away either. Enthusiastic discussions started about which short walks we would pick for the following day, which was forecast to be cool with a slight chance of light showers.

The final decision was to walk to Crater Lake, then down to Wombat Pool (3 and 7 on the above map). Some walkers would come back to the cabin along the Lake Lilla track (5), while others would go on to Dove Lake (1) and decide on next steps from there.

We had our first group meals. One cabin enjoyed spaghetti bolognese, the other butter chicken. Of course there were side dishes and desserts, and as usual we had over-catered and the quantities were large.

Day 2 - walks

We all set off at 9.30am, well equipped with layers for the weather and the terrain. What a jolly group we make! Thanks to Kat for most of these fab photos from today.

Signing into the register:

We crossed the wombat plain with great anticipation.

The track to Crater Lake was in good condition.

Very soon we were walking through fagus in its autumn colours, and Crater Lake was just beautiful.

When we climbed up to the exposed saddle overlooking Dove Lake and Wombat Pool, the wind was bitter but the views were spectacular (Lake Lilla in foreground, Dove Lake in background).

We turned left to descend the Wombat Pool Track. There was a nice lookout over Dove Lake in one direction, and Wombat Pool in the other.

We continued down the track towards Wombat Pool, there were some steep sections.

Wombat Pool is a perfect little tarn, it would be a great destination for walkers who don't have much time in the park.

We descended further to the Lake Lilla track, and at that point some of us headed back to base to relax. The others continued on to the display centre at Dove Lake, with some choosing to return to the Ronny Creek bus stop on the bus, while the fitter members completed the Dove Lake circuit.

Dinner this evening was again a feast. One cabin had massaman curry, the other rich beef cheeks, again with big desserts.

Day 3 - walks

This day dawned with clear sunny skies, how lucky are we! Sadly, Kat and Philip had to return home today, leaving ten of us. Three plans emerged. One was to have a quiet day, walking to the Visitors Centre along the boardwalk (Maryanne). The next was to walk to Dove Lake, do the circuit but also climb up to Lake Wilks, recommended by Philip as a pretty hanging tarn (Di and David). The other seven decided to walk to the Twisted Lakes, with the option of taking on Hansons Peak.

Dove Lake circuit:

The viewing centre at Dove Lake offers panoramic views over the Lake, and interpretive facts about the original inhabitants and the natural features.

It was incredible to see, both here and at the visitors' centre at the edge of the park, that even on a Tuesday in autumn after the school and public holidays had finished there was still a steady flow of serious walkers and casual walkers (tourists). Of course the fagus was a great drawcard, particularly for the locals.

Lake Wilks:

The track diverting off the Dove Lake circuit and leading up toward the Face Track was well groomed for about a third of its length, then became steep and more challenging.

There was a sweet little bridge over a pristine little creek.

Lake Wilks was worth seeing, a quiet little hanging tarn sitting tantalisingly close to the Face Track which runs below Cradle Mountain. It was surrounded by colourful fagus and the views down over Dove Lake from there were great.

Twisted Lakes:

Caroline, Warren, Wayne, Gerwyn, Bob, Fin and Lyn decided on a quiet hike heading east of Cradle to Twisted Lakes. This trail promised magical alpine tarns, demanding ascents and descents and delightfully different perspectives on the lakes and mountains including a brilliant display of autumn fagus.

We headed off at 10am from the visitor centre at Dove Lake and after the Glacier rock lookout we forked left onto the Lake Rodway track. The track climbed steadily, traversing Mt Campbell and going over a landslip, providing distant views of Marions lookout and the Walls of Jerusalem peaks some 30km away.

We turned left onto the Twisted Lakes track and descended into the valley on a rougher track with some steep exposed rockfaces. We were rewarded with great views of Lake Hanson although never reaching it. The track skirts the edge of two small tarns where we decided to have lunch.

After lunch, five of us returned the same way and two (Lyn and Fin) went on to climb the slope for a view of the Twisted Lakes perched on the ridge of Little Horn and Hansons Peak.

We decided to make the detour to Artists Pool via a lovely archway of Fagus. The pool is fringed by ancient pencil pines and well worth the extra 40 minutes walk.

From here we turned back along Lake Rodway track, ascending steadily to the summit of Hanson Peak at 1185m, named after a 16 year old trapper who perished from exposure nearby. The peak provides a fantastic panorama of the surrounding countryside in all directions including a view through the dip of Cradle Mountain.

From here it was a steep descent with lots of rock scrambling assisted by lengths of very strongly anchored chain.

to meet back at the junction and complete the loop.

We were back at the Visitor Centre around 4pm to catch the bus back to the lodge. We all agreed it was a lovely day of walking in this beautiful alpine wilderness!

Wombat plain:

The boardwalk track running from the Ronny Creek bus stop back to Waldheim was pock marked with wombat burrows, and most people walking along it encountered at least one healthy looking wombat placidly chewing on the undergrowth.

Waldheim Forest Walk:

Di and Fin visited the historic Waldheim Chalet nearby, with Philip providing interesting background stories about his great grandfather's connections with the Weindorfers. We walked the magical little Forest Walk, which only takes about 20 minutes. Recommended.

This evening the original plan had been to drive out to the Peppers Cradle Mountain Lodge for dinner. But the challenge of driving the narrow road at night combined with the fact that we had mountains of leftover food in our cabins persuaded us to stay home. We got together for pre dinner drinks and yarns, before heating up our yummy mains and desserts.

Day 4 - leaving Cradle Mountain

We all packed up and made our way out of the park, once again the vehicles tucking in behind the next bus to come along the road. Lyn and Bob squeezed in another couple of short walks neat the Cradle Mountain Lodge - Enchanted Walk and King Billy track.

Aurantiporus pulcherrimus

Camponella olivaceonigra

Several of us visited the Wilderness Gallery at Cradle Mountain Hotel. The permanent exhibition of Olegas Truchanas and Peter Dombrovskis photographs is important and well worth seeing. There are also several galleries showing off work by other artists. A movie theatre is showing Wildness, a tribute to Truchanas and Dombrovskis.

What a wonderful few days in this beautiful and tranquil place. We all feel privileged to be able to enjoy it, and in the jolly and supportive company of good friends.

A few camp notes for next time:

- there is very little mobile phone connection at the Waldheim Cabins

- the cabins do not have easy chairs so BYO if you want any chill out time

- BYO bed linen — or a sleeping bag and pillow at least - in case the ordering system falls short… (or ring up before the trip to check on the totals)

- consider grouping sleepers by temperature preferences rather than snoring propensities — we found some diversity in needs…

- for us grownups, and couples as well, two people to a room might be preferable to three…