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Cradle Mountain Overland Track Expedition
Discover one of Australia's most spectacular World Heritage areas while trekking the world famous Overland Track in the peaceful and exquisite terrain of Cradle Mountain and Lake St Clair National Park in Tasmania on an inspiring journey of discovery filled with surreal landscapes and unforgettable memories.
HIGHLIGHTS
Go off the beaten track in Cradle Mountain & Lake St Clair National Park
Stay in experiential mountain huts. It is the Experience!
Discover the unique landscapes of remote Tasmania
ITINERARY
DAY 1: DEVONPORT / CRADLE MOUNTAIN
Arrive into Devonport Airport where you will be met and transfer to the stunning Cradle Mountain Lodge (1.5hr drive). En route, we will make a stop and visit to the Devils@Cradle, a sanctuary for the endangered Tasmanian Devils where you will gain insights into the conservation efforts and educational traits of this uniquely fascinating creature that is endemic to Tasmania. Thereafter, arrive and check in at the Cradle Mountain Lodge where you will be met by your guide for a briefing for your walking journey. Rest and rejuvenate for the day.
Overnight: Peppers Cradle Mountain Lodge, Cradle Mountain
Meals: NIL
DAY 2: CRADLE MOUNTAIN / BARN BLUFF HUT
After a good rest, we will begin our journey at Waldheim in the Cradle Valley where we set off on the track venturing through ancient temperate rainforest, passing the dramatic glacially-carved Crater Lake. We will climb the steepest section of the whole Overland Track today fuelled by a hearty lunch. Reaching Marion's Lookout (1,250m) takes about an hour, with steps leading through steeper sections. The ultimate reward, weather permitting is staggering views of Cradle Mountain and Dove Lake. Then continue around the base of Cradle Mountain along the edge of a spectacular glacial cirque before dropping into Waterfall Valley. Our hut awaits, beneath the towering Barn Bluff where we welcome a deserved rest for a first day's trek.
12km walk - estimated 7 hours walking
Overnight: Barn Bluff Hut
Meals: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch & Dinner
DAY 3: BARN BLUFF HUT / PINE FOREST MOOR HUT
Today, we will be walking across plains where glaciers once rested, slowly moving and scouring out shallow tarns. Although an undulating trek with a few sections of exposed moorland, there are no significant climbs today. We venture across vast button grass plains where ancient pencil pines fringe alpine tarns. Rising from the moors, the peaks of Cradle Mountain and Barn Bluff are behind us. Look ahead, and the stately Mount Pelion West comes into view. An optional hike is a side trip to Lake Will. Hugged by pencil pines with its narrow quartzite sand rim, Lake Will is striking. Keep an eye out for gravel mounds along the way, remnants of Joseph Will's coal mining efforts in the 1890s. This evening at Pine Forest Moor Hut, enjoy an outdoor dining setting with views out to Mount Oakleigh in fine weather.
12km walk - estimated 6 hours walking
Overnight: Pine Forest Moor Hut
Meals: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch & Dinner
DAY 4: PINE FOREST MOOR HUT / PELION HUT
This morning, we venture through gorgeous myrtle-beech rainforest as we descend around the base of Mount Pelion West, down to the Forth River before it plunges into Lemonthyme Valley. Take a break at Frog Flats beside the Forth River, which happens to be the Overland Track's lowest point. From here, it is a gentle ascent back out of the valley. We leave thick Eucalypt forest behind as the trees part to reveal Pelion Plains. Uninterrupted views of Mount Oakleigh's dolerite spires now come into play.
10km walk - estimated 5 hours walking
Overnight: Pelion Hut
Meals: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch & Dinner
DAY 5: PELION HUT / KIA ORA HUT
Today begins with a climb of almost 300m to Pelion Gap though beautiful rainforest. Pelion Gap is a plateau stretching between Mount Pelion East and Mount Ossa, affording fantastic views to the south as well as back to the north. (There are plenty of time for side trips from Pelion Gap including the option to summit Mount Ossa. At 1,617m, it is Tasmania's highest peak. Another less challenging climb is Mount Pelion East.) From Pelion Gap, it is a further 2 hours of gentle downhill to the Kia Ora Hut where on arrival, you will enjoy marvellous views out to Cathedral Mountain.
7km walk - estimated 4-9 hours walking (OPTIONAL 5hr side trip to Mount Ossa)
Overnight: Kia Ora Hut
Meals: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch & Dinner
DAY 6: KIA ORA HUT / WINDY RIDGE HUT
Today is about icy-flowing waterfalls. We depart Kia Ora Hut and walk about an hour to Du Cane, where a 1910-built hut remains from the bygone days of animal trapping. Du Cane Hut is a fine spot to rest, surrounded by native gardens and overlooked by the spectacular Du Cane Range. From here, we wander through some of the oldest forest in the national park, with King Billy pines as much as 2,000 years old. Now, we are above the Mersey River, which descends deeply northward towards Bass Strait, spilling down cliff faces. There are 3 major sets of waterfalls in the area. We aim to visit one or more of these, choosing the best to have lunch beside it depending on weather conditions. During the afternoon, we make our way over Du Cane Gap, then descend beside the spectacular Falling Mountain to Windy Ridge Hut where we toast to celebrations on the last evening on the track.
9km walk - estimated 4 hours walking
Overnight: Windy Ridge Hut
Meals: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch & Dinner
DAY 7: WINDY RIDGE HUT / LAKE ST CLAIR
Our destination today is Australia's deepest natural lake - Lake St Clair, shaped by glaciations over 2 million years. Our walk takes us through flowering dry sclerophyll forests before arriving at Narcissus at the northern end of Lake St Clair in time for lunch, and then boarding the Idaclair cruise boat for a spectacular 17km cruise back to Cynthia Bay where we end the trek at the Visitor Centre where you will be met and transferred on a short ride to the Pumphouse Point, built in 1939 to supply a nearby hydroelectric station and now fully-converted into a wilderness hotel in the middle of Lake St Clair.
9km walk - estimated 3 hours walking
Overnight: Pumphouse Point, Lake St Clair
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
DAY 8: LAKE ST CLAIR
Spend a day at your leisure where Pumphouse Point offers an ideal base for you to pursue more incredible nature walks with 10 routes to witness more spectacular nature or consider activities such as fishing, wildlife spotting, cycling or just relax in the pristine wilderness.
Overnight: Pumphouse Point, Lake St Clair
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner
DAY 9: LAKE ST CLAIR / HOBART
Today, you will be transferred via helicopter to Hobart Airport for your onward journey.
Meals: Breakfast
HOTELS
Peppers Cradle Mountain Lodge is widely considered one of Australia's iconic wilderness experiences located on the edge of the spectacular World Heritage-listed Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park.
The private mountain huts along the Overland Track are designed for minimal impact and ecologically sustainable practises. Cabins are designed with basic but comfortable amenities and operated with cross-flow ventilation with renewable energy.
Cradle Mountain Overland Track Mountain Huts
Built in the 1930s as a hydroelectric station and split between the waterside Shorehouse and the Pumphouse 300m out in the Lake St Clair, the Pumphouse Point tucks into a quiet bay on Lake St Clair at the southern end of the world heritage Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park offering an eco-friendly but modern contemporary comfort for discerning travellers.
