Destination Focus: Cradle Mountain National Park, Tasmania
On one or two days per year a traveler to Tasmania’s Cradle Mountain may be lucky enough to get a cloud free photo like this one.
For the most part however, Tasmania’s most popular national park is veiled in clouds and soaked in rain. The Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area on the west coast of Australia’s only island state is one of those places that bears the brunt of eastbound weather systems moving across the Indian Ocean – otherwise known as the “Roaring Forties” a reference to the latitude where these storms prevail without any landmass to slow them down. The average rainfall in the Cradle Mountain region is 110 inches per year. For comparison, Seattle, WA, a notoriously rainy city receives 37 inches per year on average.
The rugged natural beauty of Cradle Mountain and its surrounds make it well worth getting a little bit wet during your visit however. One of the last temperate rain forests on earth offers several options for day hikers and a world renown multi-day trek known as the Overland Track which offers outdoor recreation enthusiasts a chance to traverse Cradle Mountain and Lake St. Clair National Park for six days. Concern for overuse have necessitated strict management on this 65km trail and trail users must obtain reservations and a permit prior to embarking on the hike. There are five “bushwalker” huts along the trail, strategically placed with the intention of trekkers staying each of their five nights on the trail in a different hut. Tent camping is allowed and park staff recommends that trail users bring a tent in case they can’t make it to a hut.
For those who don’t wish to walk for six days through the back country, there are day hikes in the park ranging in length from just a few minutes to several hours. Climbing Cradle Mountain is permitted and the suggested time allotment for a return trip to the summit is 6.5 hours. The climb is not technical but requires a great deal of physical exertion and climbers are completely exposed for at least two hours of the climb. On the other end of the adventure spectrum are several ranger lead activities during which you can learn about the unique environment, culture and heritage of the area.
Grab your rain coat and hit the trail at Cradle Mountain National Park!
Will @ August 29, 2008
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