Cradle Mountain November 2011

4 Days: Thursday 17th to Sunday 20th November 2011

3 Nights: Waldheim Cabins

One of Park Treks very best walking holidays in Australia is found at Cradle Mountain National Park. Our visit in November typically finds alot of the flora putting on a riotous display of colour and the streams brim with life as the last of the winter snow melts away. And what really adds to the charm of this trip is our place of stay at the Waldheim Cabins located right in the heart of the Cradle Mountain World Heritage area.

This trip is part of a Park Trek 2UP. It is linked with our Tarkine Wilderness trip that runs straight after on the Monday 21st November to Friday 25th November 2011. The combined outlay for both trips is $2190.00. This makes for a saving of $180.00!

DAY 1

We pick everyone up from their place of stay in Launceston between 8.00am and 8.30am. Then we go straight to Sheffield for a sumptuous morning tea before making our way into the Cradle Mountain National Park. After serving you a tasty picnic lunch we’ll get our walking underway with a fantastic walk up the Cradle Valley Board Walk into our place of stay at the Waldheim Cabins. Perhaps a short walk around Wiendorfers Forest to tune you into this Tolkenesque landscape before get you settled into our cabin accommodation at Waldheim. We use one of the main guides cabins to settle you in with a selection of bottled wines and a healthy organic evening meal.

The accommodation at Waldheim is simple yet very solid and comfortable. In each cabin there are two rooms, typically with two guests in each. The bathroom amenities are in a separate building next door to a number of the cabins. The cabins are maintained to a very high standard. Doonas, pillows all freshly laundered are provided. These cabins are a great place to retreat to after a days walking, especially if you've copped some rain along the way.

7 kilometres walking

DAY 2

Our first full day sees us walking up the challenging Hansons Peak and out towards Lake Rodway where the walking becomes a lot more straightforward. This is a side of Cradle Mountain where we can escape the crowds and find ourselves in the midst of an amazing Tolkenesque landscape. Our return journey takes us down into Dove Lake and back to Waldheim for a well-earned respite. Alternatively our guides may split the group up into two and offer those who want a more challenging walk the option of completey walking around the base of Cradle Mountain.

The climb up Hansens Peak has a final section, about 20 metres, that involves using a chain rope to get you to the top. Here the track becomes quite steep and you are required to use your upper body to pull yourself up. There is plenty of assitance on hand from your Park Trek guides and the walk is straight forward and very achievable. It's not rock climbing but it is more challenging than just a straight up scramble.

14 - 18 kilometres walking

DAY 3

A superb days walking gets underway with our first port of call being Marions Lookout before we make our way to lunch at the foot of the massif that is Cradle Mountain and Weindorfers Tower. The climb up Marions Lookout is legenday as most of the folks you'll see along the way will have very heavy backpacks as they embark on the beginnings of the Overland Track. Once you are at the top of Marions Lookout the views overlooking Dove Lake are superb.Then it’s onto Crater Peak and back to Waldheim.

Tonight we dine out in Cradle Chateau in their Quolls restaurant. Here they serves a reasonable value for money buffet down.This meal is at your own expense.

13 kilometres walking

DAY 4

We have a really easy but fabulous start to our days walking with a wander around the shoreline of Dove Lake, one of Tasmania’s best short walks.Then it’s off to do the Enchanted Walk before we head up to Dove Canyon where we lunch. By early afternoon we are on our way back to Launceston. We expect to be dropping you back around 4.30pm into Launceston. (9 kilometres walking)