Tasmania (Western Region)
Craddle Mountain - Lake St Clair National Park
Covering 1280 square kilometres, Cradle Mountain National Park contains some of the most spectacular mountain scenery in Australia. Lake St Clair on the south-east side of the park is the main attraction and starting point for Tasmania's most famous walk, the 80km Cradle Mountain track. On the way to the Cradle Valley at the other end of the park, the track has some of the most incredible scenery as it passes spectacular mountains and lakes, and is suitable for reasonably fit people with no experience provided they are well equipped and part of a professionally guided group.
Cradle Mountain–Lake St Clair National Park is Tasmania’s best known, its northern Cradle Mountain end easily accessible from Devonport, Deloraine or Launceston, and its southern Lake St Clair end from Derwent Bridge on the Lyell Highway between Queenstown and Hobart. A popular route from Devonport is via Sheffield on the B14, then the C132 via Wilmot, and for the final stretch to Cradle Valley, the C136. 

One of the most glaciated areas in Australia, with many lakes and tarns, the park covers some of Tasmania’s highest land, with craggy mountain peaks such as Mount Ossa (1617m), the state’s highest point. At its northern end, Dove Lake, backed by the jagged outline of Cradle Mountain, is one of the state’s most breathtaking sights, and at the park’s southern end, Lake St Clair is the country’s deepest freshwater lake at over 200m, occupying a basin gouged out by two glaciers.

Between Cradle Mountain and Lake St Clair, the eighty-kilometre Overland Track, attracting walkers from all over the world, is the best way to take in the stunning scenery – spread over five or more mud- and leech-filled days of physical, albeit exhilarating, exhaustion. However, you can do just part of the walk, or make several other satisfying day-walks around Cradle Mountain or Lake St Clair.

Getting there & around
Tasmanian Wilderness Transport services both ends of the national park on two year-round scheduled routes, while “Wilderness” services provide more frequent transport in the summer. A service from Launceston and Devonport to Queenstown goes via Cradle Mountain (Tues, Thurs & Sat; connecting with a Queenstown to Strahan service), while the Queenstown–Hobart service takes the Lyell Highway to Lake St Clair (Tues, Thurs, Sat & Sun). A Launceston to Cradle Mountain “Wilderness” service runs via Deloraine and Devonport (mid-April to Nov Tues, Thurs, Sat & Sun; Nov to mid-April daily). A Hobart to Lake St Clair “Wilderness” service via Mt Field National Park runs daily in both directions Dec–April. 

You can also try Maxwell’s Coaches charter service (tel 03/6424 8093), which connects Devonport and Launceston to Lake St Clair ($30), and Launceston and Devonport to Cradle Mountain ($30).

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