Devonport Excursions

Cradle Mountain

One of Tasmania's most popular attractions is the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, placed on the World Heritage list in 1982. Landscapes include ancient rainforest and alpine heath lands, interspersed with button grass and stands of deciduous beech trees. Trails winding through forests of King Billy pines around the mountain offer superb day treks, and the 50 miles (82km) trek from Cradle Mountain in the north to Lake St Clair in the south is Australia's most famous bushwalk. The Park is equipped with mountain huts that offer accommodation for long guided treks, and Cradle Mountain Lodge offers log cabins in a tranquil setting. Lake St Clair, a narrow 10-mile (15km) long waterway in the south of the park, is Australia's deepest natural freshwater lake.

E-mail: cradle@parks.tas.gov.au; Website: www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?base=3297; Telephone: (03) 6492 1110 (Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre); Transport: It is a one and a half hour drive from Devonport to the park entrance. A free shuttle bus services all areas of the park from the visitor centre; Opening time: The Visitor Centre is open daily 8am to 5pm; Admission: A$22 per vehicle; A$11 per individual