Bryan Stephens

I have heard and read so many good and interesting things about Cradle Mountain in the past, but I had never seen it during my previous visits to Tasmania. I know how the weather can change so rapidly there and it is possible to get snow there even in summer. Below is a photo that just shows how spectacular Cradle Mountain and its surrounds is.

This photo of Cradle Mountain and Dove Lake was taken soon after being dropped off by the shuttle bus.

Frank and I left Queenstown Thursday morning and drove on the route directly to Tullah, bypassing Rosebery. The scenery was spectacular with the mountains and lakes to our right, but I had to concentrate on driving which prevented me from  taking a decent look. Conversely, just before Cradle Valley there seemed to be many trees that were dead by disease or the like. It was such a contrast.

When we arrived at the Cradle Mountain visitor and information place, we found that there were several walks that we could do.  We also had to  buy a pass to enter Lake St Clair National Park. The fee included a shuttle service, which I was glad we used rather than a car. The roads were narrow and windy, but the shuttle bus drivers had good communication skills. Despite a shuttle bus arriving every 6 minutes, they knew where each other was and stopped to let one another through at key locations.

There were many walks that one could take in the surrounds of Cradle Mountain, including the famous Overlander Track, which takes 6 days to finish. We were constrained by time and Frank’s limited walking ability, so I did a couple of quick walks around Dove Lake. Below are some of the photos I took during the walk.

This Photo shows a boat shed that was built in the 1940s on Dove Lake with Cradle Mountain in the background.

This Photo shows Cradle Mountain and Dove lake from the top of a large rock opposite the Boat shed

An up close photo taken of Cradle Mountain from the large rock

A view of the boat shed from the large rock that I was standing on, shows the small walk I did whilst at Cradle Mountain.

A photo of Cradle Mountain with the large rock that I was previously standing on in the foreground. You can see people on top of the rock.

The next post will be about Sheffield and its surrounds.