Day 1: Queenstown, New Zealand to Launceston
Getting from Queenstown, New Zealand to Launceston, Tasmania was a long but uneventful day of travel. Well, other than wondering if we were going to be stuck in Melbourne due to storms. (We were only delayed.) Our travel included a long layover at Melbourne. We couldn’t recheck our bags with Jetstar until 2 hours before our flight left so we were limited to hanging out outside the secured area. We discovered there isn’t much there. We did find Hanna’s Cafe in the parking ramp where we got sandwiches. The departure gates were packed with people thanks to all the flight delays. The people getting off our incoming flight could barely get through the throngs.
Since we arrived so late, we had the taxi driver in Launceston drop us at the supermarket. There isn’t one at Cradle Mountain so we had to get supplies that night. I shopped while Steve minded the baggage. Then we walked to the hotel. Our taxi driver kindly pointed out directions.
Day 2: Launceston to Cradle Mountain and Dove Lake Circuit
We took a tour to get to the park. It took some searching, but I found a company that runs day tours to the park from Launceston and will carry passengers that are staying in the park. Our tour group was small and mostly older women who seemed to know each other. The guide provided excellent commentary on the way. We made a rest stop in Sheffield, which is famous for its murals. There were many of them around town — they hold an annual festival — below are just a few we found especially interesting.
At the Cradle Mountain visitor center they transferred us to a van to drop us at our lodging since the larger bus couldn’t make it up the narrow drive. Since the weather was nice we decided to do the Dove Lake Circuit that afternoon. We ran into some our friends from the tour bus on the trail. The tour allows time for hiking at the park, with a guide if you want.
After our hike we picked up our bags from reception and checked into our cabin. We didn’t even have our bags unpacked before we spotted a pademelon right outside and a little later, an echidna right outside one of the windows.
We had dinner reservations up the road at a hotel restaurant. We saw a wallaby on the way there. It was a very nice meal with a great view of Cradle Mountain. On our way home we saw our first wombat, up close and personal. It’s so nice when the wildlife isn’t skittish. It was pretty chilly in the cabin overnight. Summer at Cradle Mountain!
Day 3: Short Walks
It was rainy and cold this morning and we didn’t have a lot planned after our longer walk yesterday, so we took advantage of our wood stove. The stove was easy to use, especially since it was all set up for us on arrival. We could see how to build the fire. Our cabin had lots of windows for viewing wildlife and a bench on the porch for when the weather cooperated.
After the weather cleared up in the afternoon we took the shuttle to the ranger station and did the short walks near there: the Knivet Falls/Pencil Pine Falls walk, the Enchanted Walk, and the Rainforest Walk. The scenery was different from yesterday’s, focused on creeks, waterfalls, and rainforest.
It was still early when we finished those walks and we weren’t tired yet, so we took the shuttle onto Ronny Creek and explored around there. All of the walks were easy and pretty. We saw a wallaby and joey on the Enchanted Walk and at least three wombats at Ronny Creek. On our way back to the cabin we stopped at reception and bought some cider. They had a nice selection of local wine, beer, cider, and snacks.
Day 4: Ronny Creek Walk
Another cold rainy morning, another fire. Because why not? We headed back to Ronny Creek later in the day to look for platypus. We didn’t find any, but it was a nice walk and we saw more wombats.
A currawong visited our cabin today. The moss on the branches is just wild. There are so many different types of habitat here.
Day 5: Ranger Station and back to Launceston
Our shuttle didn’t pick us up until 2:30 PM and our shuttle tickets were still good, so we went up to the ranger station to check out the displays. They had a small but good collection, including some stuffed local animals and a three dimensional model of the park. The visitor center has a set of stone pillars describing the criteria for UNESCO World Heritage sites that Cradle Mountain meets. It meets seven out of ten criteria. Only China’s Mount Taishan meets the same number.
The van picked us up at reception to get us back to Launceston. We stopped along the way at a Tasmanian honey store. They offered samples of all the different honeys, plus whisky and mead. We did lots of sampling and bought some local honey and some honey mead infused whisky. Or mead infused with whisky. Whatever it was it was really good.
The shuttle dropped us back at our hotel in Launceston where we met up with Steve’s cousin for dinner.
There is a lot more to see in Tasmania!
This wasn't our first time in Tasmania. On our first visit we spent a week with Steve's cousin in Hobart and they did such a good job showing us around — Mt Wellington, MONA, the Bonorong wildlife sanctuary and the south coast, among others — that we didn't feel the need to go back. Click here to read about our first visit.
Essentials
Lodging
Our cabin at Cradle Highlander was simply one of the best places we’ve ever stayed. We stayed in the Woodsmoke cabin, which had a living area, a separate bedroom, a bathroom, a porch, and an enclosed entry with wood storage. The cabins are right across the road from the visitor center for easy access to the park. The woodstove was handy for heating and added atmosphere. (There are also electric heaters in the bedroom and bath. We turned those on in the morning just until the woodstove got going.) Reception kindly stored our bags before and after checkout and had a nice selection of beverages and snacks. It was pricey but great value in the middle of nowhere. There are a couple of other lodges/hotels and campgrounds nearby. In Launceston we stayed at the Best Western Plus for one night both before and after Cradle Mountain. It was fine.
Dining
We had a delicious lamb and quail dinner the first night at Hellyers Restaurant at Cradle Mountain Village. It was a very nice meal with a beautiful view, a short walk up the road (but not on the road) from our cabin. The nearby hotel and lodge also serve food but were a longer walk. Since we had kitchen facilities we stocked up in Launceston and enjoyed meals in our cabin. There is no market near Cradle Mountain. On our last night in Launceston we ended up eating at the hotel restaurant since it was easy.
Transportation
There’s no public transportation to the park. We got there via a McDermott’s day tour that also functions as a shuttle to and from Launceston if you’re staying in the Cradle Mountain area. They picked us up at the Best Western in Launceston at 7:30 and dropped us at our cabins in Cradle Mountain around 10:30. On the return trip they picked us up at 2:30 PM and dropped us off around 5:30 PM at our Launceston hotel. We flew into Launceston the night before the shuttle and flew out the day after we got back.
Once at the park there’s a fee to park at the visitor center and ride the shuttle within the park. The shuttles run continuously; we never had to wait for more than a few minutes. Vehicle access within the park is only permitted when the shuttles are not running. We walked around the park and downtown Launceston, and got a taxi to and from the airport.