Tasmania – Dove Lake Circuit, Cradle Mountain

Tasmania Road Trip Cradle Mountain

 

Day 1 – Lavender Farm and Bay of Fire

Day 2/ Day 3 – White Sand, Shells, and Wineglass Bay

Day 4 – Tasman Peninsula

Day 5/ Day 6 – The Stunning Tasmanian Landscape (Hobart and Tullah)

Are you still following my journey? Last December my husband and I spent 9 days road-tripping around Tasmania. After strolling in Lavender Farm, hiking till Wineglass Bay, going in search of Bioluminescent algae, and driving through the stunning landscape of old mining villages, let me take you to Cradle Mountain.

We started early from our resort at Tullah. The distance to Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park was only about 60 km, so we were in no rush. We crossed acres and acres of rainforests, flanked by glimpses of rugged mountain peaks. The landscape changed to heathland as we neared the Cradle Mountain entrance.

We bought a day pass at the entrance, which cost us about 16.50 per person. Due to many visitors that day, we had to park our car at the entrance and take a shuttle to Dove Lake Circuit. We had planned to walk around Dove Lake first, and later go on short hikes around the area. You can collect the map and receive other information from the information center at the ticket counter.

Dove Lake Circuit – One of the best-known hikes in Tasmania

After about 15 minutes of the bus ride, we alighted at Dove Lake. The weather was absolutely perfect, a bit cloudy and not too cold. This was probably the first time during our road trip when the sun wasn’t blazing on our faces.

Dove Lake Circuit is an easy 6 km boardwalk around the lake that takes about 2 hours to complete. The views are spectacular, and you can see the jagged peak of Cradle mountain looming over the lake all along the path.

 

The circuit is divided into different sections. My favorite is the Ballroom forest, which looked so fairy tale like, with lime green moss-laden trees and a little stream flowing into the lake. It is said that walking the track anti-clockwise is easier as you get the steeper sections done at the beginning. This track is easy enough to be done by both kids and the elderly.

 

After completing the Dove Lake circuit, we took a shoulder track towards Ronny Creek, which was another 2 km of a boardwalk in the wilderness. The landscape was completely different from Dove Lake Circuit. A wide stretch of buttongrass moorlands, where if lucky, you will find wildlife grazing out and about.

I was only able to spot a Wombat from afar. Can you see it too?

The sights at Cradle Mountain are undoubtedly among the best, and I can’t wait to return to explore more of the hikes this incredible place has to offer.

We stayed till early afternoon and then went to Launceston, where we spent the last 2 days of our road trip.

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