We arrived in Tasmania’s Launceston Airport in the late afternoon, which left us with only a couple of hours for us to drive to Cradle Mountain while the sun was still up. My boyfriend and I quickly bought groceries at a local grocery store for the time we would be spending in a self-contained cottage we booked at Cradle Mountain Wilderness Lodge.
One thing I already knew to expect was the quality of the produce. We ended up buying lots of locally-grown produce, Tasmanian salmon, steak, cultured butter, and locally-made organic soda which was so good I started buying soda everywhere I went in Tasmania. I was excited to cook at the self-contained cottage.
After a beautiful two-hour drive to Cradle Mountain passing by fields upon fields of cattle and grazing sheep and driving through endless winding roads, we made it! And it was so cold, with an expected forecast of snow, rain, and hail to come overnight and into the following day. I was disheartened at first, thinking our plans would be ruined but it actually turned out to be quite magical. While we didn’t attempt one of our planned hikes because of the weather, we did do the premier walk around Dove Lake, where we experienced literally the weather of every season – sun, rain, hail, and snow.
Good to Know
- Dress appropriately! Waterproof hiking boots are a must here, as well as a weatherproof jacket and pants for the ever-changing weather! And of course layering up.
- Go early if possible in a rental car to the carparks and leave early to avoid crowds if you don’t want to deal with crowds (like me).
- Buy groceries if you are staying in a self-contained cottage beforehand. There are only a few restaurants onsite and some are not opened every day of the week.
