BushwalkBushwalk
Cradle Mountain from the saddle between Mount Campbell and Hansons PeakPhotos by Peter Hodges
A family trip to Tasmania that started off with a few problems became magical as soon as we reached the bush.
Tassie Winter Trip, Part 1
Peter Hodges
28 | BWA February 2019
The Sebel Launceston
Days 1 and 2 – setbacks and surprisesMy family lives in Bundaberg, Queensland, which is quite different to Tasmania. When we started the trip our flight was delayed and connections were missed, then the flight to Launceston was cancelled due to fog … We were not happy and stayed for a night in Brisbane.
At Launceston we had two pleasant surprises. The hire car was the same that we drive at home, making the driving much more comfortable, especially with our 20 month old daughter. The second surprise was the warmth and friendliness at our accommodation, The Sebel Launceston. They were amazing! Not only did they waive all of the fees normally associated with changing a booking at the last minute, they were also very helpful with providing us with all sorts of information. In addition they gave our daughter a free teddy bear when we checked out which she absolutely loved. Every interaction we had with the staff at this hotel was overwhelmingly positive. Their breakfast was amazing too!
So in short, despite a difficult two days of travelling our first impressions in Tasmania were overwhelmingly positive. The next day was spent driving to Cradle Mountain for a three night stay inside the national park. I couldn’t wait!
Day 3 – the drive to Cradle MountainToday was great! We certainly didn’t have any time for walking when we passed through Sheffield but I knew we would have more than our fair share of beautiful walks in the Cradle Mountain area. The drive was leisurely.
We arrived at Cradle Mountain late in the afternoon. It was a cool 2 °C outside and we could see that it had been raining. My wife and daughter were struggling a bit with
The famous Dove Lake boat shed from the opposite side of the lake
“... our first impressions in Tasmania were overwhelmingly positive
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Our Cradle Mountain accommodation
It’s easy to see how the Enchanted Walk got it’s name
the cold and the Waldheim heater took a little while to work, in time making the cabin super comfortable. I was absolutely chuffed with our accommodation! A humble cabin in the midst of the most prehistoric looking rainforest I had ever seen. I couldn’t wait to explore the area over the coming days.
Day 4 – The Enchanted ForestThe day started off with another pleasant surprise (we soon discovered that Tasmania is full of pleasant surprises), a pademelon feeding just outside our cabin. My daughter absolutely loved the pademelon and every time we returned to our cabin she would look out the window and see if she could spot it. We mistakenly told her that it was a wallaby so she proceeded to ask about the “wobby” for the next two days.
It took us a little while to put all our layers on and get dressed. The Enchanted Walk is an easy 20 minute circuit entirely on boardwalks or pavement, the majority of which is beside the rushing waters of Pencil Pine Creek. The water looks so pure and is deeply shaded by tannins. The walk is through the most ancient looking rainforest. Everything looks so old and so alive at the same time. It literally looks like the forest from a fairy tale. We thoroughly enjoyed our time here.
We headed to Dove Lake but unfortunately the rain had set in. My wife and daughter returned to our cabin while I braved the weather.
A pademelon behind our accommodation
“It literally looks like the forest from a fairy tale.
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Wombat Peak
I had heard a quote recently from Alfred Wainwright:“There’s no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing.”
With that in mind I grabbed my waterproof gear and ventured out to Dove Lake.
The Dove Lake CircuitDove Lake was busy, and high traffic levels stopped me driving, so I caught the shuttle bus. This impressed me - even in mid-winter buses run every 15 minutes from 9am to 3pm.
I intended to complete the Dove Lake Circuit (5.7 kilometres, 2 hours) as per the map below.
Even though low cloud was covering Cradle Mountain the view of the surrounding countryside was spectacular. I was immediately drawn to the way the light was shining on Wombat Peak. When I zoomed in with my camera I could just make out a group of people at the top.
From the car park I went clockwise towards Glacier Rock thinking how grateful I was to be walking in partial sunshine. There had been showers but at the start of the walk the weather looked like it was clearing. Maybe I was being a little optimistic? In any case I was enjoying the views across the lake and I could see the famous Dove Lake boat shed on the opposite side.
It wasn’t long before I reached Glacier Rock and when I did I was disappointed to see that it had been fenced off for construction/safety purposes. Light rain began and a stiff cool breeze started blowing across the lake. Before long the light rain turned into heavy rain and the entire landscape changed. Even though the weather had deteriorated I was really enjoying the opportunity to be walking in nature and to see a type of landscape I had never seen before. Yes it was cold and wet but the rain had caused several
“This impressed me - even in mid-winter buses run every 15 minutes ...
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Dawn at Dove Lake
waterfalls to flow over the cliffs. It was amazing to see and hear all the rushing water around me.
Just as I was starting to tire of the rain I found myself entering the lush Ballroom Forest. It was similar to the Enchanted Walk forest and with the shelter of the canopy above me I enjoyed a short respite from the rain.
I soon realised that I would need to pick up the pace if I was going to make it back to the car park in time for the last shuttle bus. So I hurried along, only stopping briefly at the boat shed for a quick photo and a chance to catch my breath.
At this point I realised the new boots that I had bought before this trip were not suited to my feet as they were just that little bit too narrow. My feet were killing me! At least the boots had kept my feet dry and warm.
I looked at my watch and realised that I would have to run back if I was going to make it in time. Wincing in pain, I jogged to the car park to see the last shuttle bus pull up just as I made it over the hill. There was a long line of people boarding the bus which bought me just enough time to make my way across the car park. I was so relieved!
Day 5 – Dove LakeOn our second full day in Cradle Mountain I drove out to Dove Lake at dawn while my wife and daughter got ready for the day. It was a little overcast and chilly but there was not a breath of wind on the lake, so quiet, still and peaceful. I quickly took some photos by the lake before heading to the boat shed.
It was an absolutely beautiful morning. Cradle Mountain had received a dusting of snow and I loved the reflections of the mountains in the water. When I reached the boat shed I was also struck at how the light and colour kept changing as the sun poked through the clouds.
After a good 30 minutes or so I headed back to our cabin to pick up my wife and daughter. The plan for the rest of the day was for a family visit to Dove Lake and then I would spend the rest of the day walking in the area on my own.
On our way to Dove Lake my wife noticed a pair of wombats grazing in a clearing by the side of the road. She was thrilled! Seeing a wombat was one of the things at the top of her Cradle Mountain list, so we all got out of the car to watch the wombats graze.
Streams in the Ballroom Forest
“... the new boots that I had bought before this trip were not suited to my feet ...
32 | BWA February 2019
We were soon on our way again but were stopped by a boom gate due to the high traffic volumes. No matter, a short drive had us back at the Visitor Centre and before long we were on a shuttle bus to Dove Lake.
When we arrived I carried my little girl on my shoulders as we all made our way to the boat shed. It was great for my wife to spend some time taking photos while my daughter and I played with the rocks by the shore of the lake. We were so grateful to another tourist who kindly took a photo of our family. It’s one of my favourite family photos thus far, all of us out enjoying nature together.
I was having such a good morning but even better things were yet to come. We returned to the shuttle bus stop where I waved goodbye to my little family. They were headed back to the cabin for lunch while I headed off on another adventure.
Mount Campbell and Hansons PeakI planned to do a long walk to Mount Campbell, Hansons Peak, Marions Lookout and finish at Dove Lake car park. I started walking at noon, so to catch the last shuttle bus at 4pm I decided on Mount Campbell, Hansons Peak, Face Track, Lake Wilks to Dove Lake car park.
When I started I was a little concerned because the weather looked very similar to the previous day where I ended up walking in heavy rain. As I made my way past the Glacier Rock I was immediately struck by the snow gums on Mount Campbell. They are such a distinctively Australian tree and I particularly like their interesting shapes as they twist up from the ground.
Knowing that I was on a tight time schedule I kept a quick pace as I made my way to the saddle between Mount Campbell and Hansons Peak. From here there are a number of obvious paths to the top of Mount Campbell. After only climbing for a couple of minutes I already had fantastic views over Dove Lake and Cradle Mountain.
Even though Mount Campbell is not an official walk (you will not find any information about it from Tasmania Parks & Wildlife) it is a relatively straightforward walk to the top. There is just a short section of scree to climb before you reach an alpine plateau.
The alpine plateau at the top is relatively large, and I headed straight for the summit cairn. On my way there I passed a number
My wife and daughter watching a wombat
Family photo at Cradle Mountain
My actual walking route at Cradle Mountain
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of quartzite formations where sharp, jagged rocks clustered together into all sorts of interesting shapes.
As I explored the alpine plateau I was struck by the magnitude and beauty of the landscape in front of me. An endless collection of mountains and valleys that stretched into the distance. Clouds that slowly rolled over ridge lines before disappearing into thin air. It was magical!
Then the clouds which had been completely covering the summit of Cradle Mountain slowly began to lift. Within minutes the entire summit was visible and I could see that fresh snow had fallen all over the mountain. The combination of soft afternoon light, fresh snow and the remaining cloud resulted in the most dramatic landscape. I remember feeling so truly blessed to be able to just sit and enjoy this moment.
It’s one of the things I love most about getting out into nature, particularly to places that literally take your breath away. In those moments it’s like my mind and soul are given a chance to stop and reset. I have a better appreciation of my own smallness in such a vast world and I always walk away feeling so grateful for the gift of life. Maybe that’s why I enjoy walking so much.
Even though I was on a tight time schedule I decided to start walking more slowly and to just enjoy this part of the walk. The clouds were really starting to disperse now and I was getting increasingly better views of Dove Lake and Cradle Mountain on the descent from Mount Campbell.
Once I reached the saddle I rejoined the Lake Rodway track and started the ascent to Hansons Peak. I really enjoyed this section of the walk, particularly because of the sweeping views across Lake Hanson. In a strange way the softness of the colour and light of this area reminded me of a painting. There were all sorts of interesting lines and shapes, as though all the features of the landscape; the trees, the lake, the clouds, the ridges, the mountains, were all working together in harmony. It was really beautiful.
The final section of the ascent to Hansons Peak is very steep. The peak rises suddenly from the surrounding area and some climbing is required to reach the top. Fortunately, poles and chains have been installed to
A panorama of Hansons Lake, Hansons Peak, Cradle Mountain and Dove Lake
The summit of Cradle Mountain
“I have a better appreciation of my own smallness in such a vast world and I always walk away feeling so grateful for the gift of life.
34 | BWA February 2019
Peter is from sunny Bundy in Queensland. He loves nothing more than spending time with his family, walking in nature and taking lots of photos. When he is not teaching in front of a classroom he is almost certainly on a bushwalk or planning some other kind of adventure.Blog: travelwithpete.comInstagram: instagram.com/plhodges
To read the entire article, check out Peter's blog. We will have the second part of this trip in the next edition.
assist walkers in this section. There are also great views of Cradle Mountain on the way up. At the summit there are more great views of the surrounding area, particularly Cradle Mountain and the landscape to the south.
From here I headed west along the Face Track and then towards Lake Wilks. If I had more time I would have definitely traversed the entire Face Track and headed to Marions Lookout but I would have to save that adventure for another day.
At this point in the walk some fatigue and cramping had started to set in. I think it was a combination of not enough water, uncomfortable boots and being a bit out of shape. As a result my progress slowed to a crawl. Even though it was a tough slog I appreciated seeing Dove Lake, Lake Wilks and Cradle Mountain from a unique perspective.
I was starting to run short on time so I picked up the pace again as I rejoined the Dove Lake Circuit. As I had completed the Dove Lake Circuit yesterday I only stopped to take a handful of photos before reaching the car park.
Unlike yesterday I had made it with plenty of time to spare, 3:45pm. After signing out of the walker’s registration logbook I boarded the second last shuttle bus for the day. I was exhausted but so completely satisfied at the same time.
As we made our way back to the Visitors' Centre we came across a group of tourist whose companions had left for Marions Lookout at 3:30pm. Marions Lookout is usually a three hour return walk and these inexperienced walkers were definitely
going to miss the last shuttle bus. They would be walking in the dark for hours with temperatures below freezing. The frustrated driver called the rangers and they had to send a search party for them. It’s hard to believe that anybody could be so foolish.
I spent the bus trip speaking with a young couple from Sydney who had spent the last two days in the area. We swapped stories of the walks we had done before wishing each other the best of luck for the rest of our respective trips throughout Tasmania.
By far the two most popular walks at Cradle Mountain are the Dove Lake Circuit and the walk to Marions Lookout. While both of these walks are very beautiful in their own right I have to say that I think the walk to Mount Campbell and Hansons Peak is definitely worth considering as an alternative. You are guaranteed to see less people and there are so many beautiful highlights on this walk. I can’t recommend it highly enough. In fact, it has inspired me to complete the Overland Track with my brother in 2020. It really is an amazing place.
The track to Hansons Peak
“... I think the walk to Mount Campbell and Hansons Peak is definitely worth considering as an alternative.
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