The latest from Cradle Mountain Huts and Bay of Fires Walk

A Tale from... Cradle Mountain Huts 6 day walk - 29 Apr 2012

2012-05-14T00:00:00Z

From my personal perspective the trip exceeded expectations. The weather was better than I anticipated despite knowing what I should expect. Scenery to use an old cliché was God’s country. The logistics of the trip in terms of organisation, pickup, transport and drop off, debrief, walking and guides involved all ran without fault. The guides were excellent both in accommodating & supporting clientele. There was no pressure in meeting deadlines. The huts and accommodation delivered in spades, and meals satisfied in full. It is a trip worth recommending to anyone interested in visiting the area.

A Tale from... Cradle Mountain Huts 6 day walk - 16 Apr 2012

2012-05-02T00:00:00Z

My intentions are always well meaning ..... this time I intend to follow thru. Wanted to thank both Grant & Nick for being such fabulous guides as well as good fun - and the fellow walkers for a truly superb week. The scenery, the pristine environment, incredible knowledge of the guides, comraderie, food, and wine - were an amazing recipe for a very memorable walk. Thank you.

A Tale from... Cradle Mountain Huts 6 day walk - 01 Apr 2012

2012-04-29T00:00:00Z

The Overland Track looked like something that would be beyond my capabilities - as someone who has only begun walking in my late fifties. My grateful thanks to our remarkable guides John and Ed who made this experience one we will never forget. How do you find all these wonderful young people? Food, accommodation, local knowledge, ability to relate to a varied group of individuals - all were exemplary. Just do it!

Australian Traveller - Overland Track

2012-04-21T00:00:00Z

This multi-day walk through World Heritage-listed landscapes should be on every Australian’s must-do list. But if you want to collapse into a real bed each night, there’s only one way to tackle the track, as Bruce Holmes discovers.

Australian Traveller - Overland Track (PDF) PDF File – 1.6 MB

A Tale from... Cradle Mountain Huts 6 day walk - 06 Apr 2012

2012-04-20T00:00:00Z

This trip was a truly wonderful experience - i went with three girlfriends and we had six other beautiful people to make up our group of 10. I can't thank our guides, Harley and Joe, enough - they made the trip fantastic with their care and compassion, their amazing knowlege of nature, their ability to make us laugh, their calmness in all situations - I felt totally safe at all times. Also their cooking skills were amazing - the food and wine were very welcome at the end of a long day's walking and the food and drink stops during the walk made it so pleasant. I did struggle that first day - Harley never once made me feel bad about that - he was so encouraging and helpful as were my girlfriends and our whole amazing group. We had all sorts of weather - sunshine and heat the first day, rain and sleet, then beautiful snow - it was truly magic. I enjoyed conversations with everyone on the trip and bercause I was one of the slower walkers I also chatted a lot to Harley and Joe - those two young men manage to be social and interested and interesting - all the while making sure that everyone is OK and that things are going according to plan. The beauty of the environment was made so much more special by the lovely people on our trip - and I think this was enhanced by our guides' personalities and abilities - an altogether memorable and life-changing experience. Thankyou Harley and Joe, thankyou Janet, Katie and Margaret, thankyou Marilyn, Linda, Nat and Tim and Rowena and Peter.
Hope we can all get together again one day - Josie.

A Tale from... Cradle Mountain Huts 6 day walk - 14 Mar 2012

2012-03-30T00:00:00Z

A group of ten of us did the walk guided by Mim and Shelly. Our guides were awesome, two very exceptional young people who added so much in many aspects to the trip. From Cradle Mountain to Lake St Clair is some of the most striking country you will ever see. It is our heritage as Australians which we can share with the rest of the world. Our group has walked in NZ and some thought prior to the walk that the scenery could not match that on offer in NZ. The Overland track scenery certainly matches what is available in NZ. The huts, food, and general management of the trip is first class and works very well. I did not hear one single complaint or criticism from any member of our group. Perhaps they could put a railway through, cut down a few trees to improve the view, and have spit roast roo one night for dinner (just kidding Mim)

A Tale from... Cradle Mountain Huts 6 day walk - 09 Mar 2012

2012-03-26T00:00:00Z

I enjoyed the walk very much. The scenery, is of course beautiful, but my friends and I were extremely impressed by the organisation on the trip, the comfort of the huts and the food.
Thing that really made it special for us however, were our two guides, Gretel and Joel. They were an excellent team - their personalities complimented each other well - and their knowledge of and passion for the environment was inspirational. Their stamina was also astounding.
I will certainly be recommending the walk to others.

A Tale from... Cradle Mountain Huts 6 day walk - 12 Mar 2012

2012-03-20T00:00:00Z

I just wanted to drop you a quick note to say thanks to everyone at Cradle Huts walk for the most wonderful experience last week.

Our group agreed that it surpassed all of our expectations - we expected that the environment would be wonderful but the variety and spectacular vistas were quite unbelievable. However what made the trip truly memorable was our guides Josh and Simon - their patience, ability to read the mood of the group and knowledge was impressive.

I know I am not the only one in the group who is still coming down from the most wonderful high of last week. As an indication of how much we enjoyed it was at the end of the walk we were all prepared to turn around and do it all again - I suspect a sentiment that may not have been shared by Josh and Simon who no doubt needed a serious rest from us!

Please pass our our heartfelt thanks to the entire team for making our big "30+10" one of the best experiences of our lives!

with my very best wishes,

A Tale from... Cradle Mountain Huts 6 day walk - 25 Feb 2012

2012-03-12T00:00:00Z

The Overland Track is extremely photogenic and we had the best weather.
We had THE BEST TIME and would like to put this down to our two wonderful guides Adam and Joel. I know everybody ends up thinking their guides are great but they were not only great ambassors to Tasmania but to your company aswell, great company, funny, good cooks, great knowledge on flora and fauna,and I cannot speak strongly enough about them both.
I will definitely recommend the way we did this walk to anyone interested. Its the only way to go.
You have a very effeceint and well run company. Tasmania was on my bucket list for years and the way I saw it was like a dream.
Thankyou very much Jacky

A Tale from... Cradle Mountain Huts 6 day walk - 03 Feb 2012

2012-02-27T00:00:00Z

The Overland Track walk with Cradle Huts was a wonderful experience and one I will remember forever. The scenery was so varied and it was all beautiful. The whole thing was a great experience as I say but the highlights for me were getting to climb up Mt. Ossa, the view up there was breath taking. Walking through the old forest for half an hour by ourselves on the second last day was amazing too. I don't know if that's a regular thing on all the tours or whether our guides just do that but it was lovely and such a wonderful way to experience that section of track. Throwing ourselves off the jetty into Lake St. Clair on the last day was a memorable moment too, though the water was bloody freezing.
The guides were great. Nick and Linton took us. They both had excellent knowledge of the area, and in different aspects of the area too which was good, they complimented each other well. They did a wonderful job with the cooking and absolutely everything really. Though Nick said he had only been with the company a couple of weeks he was still professional and conducted himself very well and you could see him growing in confidence as the days went on. I'm sure he will be an asset to your company in the future. Linton's experience and wealth of knowledge and expertise were first class and you are extremely lucky to have him at Cradle Huts and whoever hired him should be commended.
I would recommend Cradle Huts to anyone without hesitation, not only for the wonderful experience of the walk but for the above mentioned things, it would be a beautiful walk anyway but was made that much better thanks to our guides.

A Tale from... Cradle Mountain Huts 6 day walk - 16 Feb 2012

2012-02-26T00:00:00Z

16 Feb 2012
Thank you to Grant & Gretel for being such passionate and consummate guides.
Both my father and I have wanted to complete this fabulous walk for some time and being able to take advantage of the guide’s depth of local knowledge; enthusiasm for the vegetation and animals of the overland track made the experience that much more rounded. Both guides carried their packs with ease and undertook their many duties with aplomb and good humour. Thanks to Grant for encouraging me to swim in the crystal clean and chilly waters, it has renewed my love of the outdoors and of climbing mountains. We were both impressed with the green and environmentally friendly way that the trip was organised.

Our trip was a seminal experience for both of us, we shall be singing the praises of the Cradle Mountain Huts far and wide.
Lisa & Alan Jones

Monthly Chosun Mountain Magazine

2012-02-25T00:00:00Z

February 2012

Monthly Chosun Mountain Magazine (PDF) PDF File – 8.4 MB

A Tale from... Cradle Mountain Huts 6 day walk - 03 Feb 2012

2012-02-24T00:00:00Z

Jared (my son) and I thoroughly enjoyed the walk.
The 2 guides that took us were amazing. They were Linton and Nick. Linton is the calmest person I have met in my whole life. He has an obvious love of the outdoors. At all times Jared and I felt safe with them and in good hands. They do a terrific job working long hours, cooking, guiding, cleaning and I don't know how they carry those heavy backpacks. Nick was gorgeous too. He was new to the tours but he will make an excellent guide. They were beautiful boys.
I can't speak highly enough of our time with you and I have many special memories which I will carry with me forever. I have never done a tour in my home state before, yours was the 1st one. You are definitely up there with the best of them if not the best. The cabins were well equipped, beautiful and clean and comfortable.

A Tale from... Cradle Mountain Huts 6 day walk - 13 Jan 2012

2012-02-16T00:00:00Z

“The Walk” was our first foray into serious trekking.

We were very fortunate to have as guides the irrepressible Patrick and Will and to share with them and our wonderful fellow travelers great weather, unforgettable scenery and the challenge of being part of one of Australia’s great wilderness adventures.

Every aspect of the 6 days holds something special. There were times when the scenery stopped all of us in our tracks and the numerous photos that attempted to capture the moment unsurprisingly just couldn’t do it justice …….. and perhaps that is one more reason for us to return !!

Patrick and his brother Will provided insights into almost every aspect that we came across. Their thoughtfulness, great humour and attention to the varying capacities and needs of each traveller was genuine, gracious and much appreciated.

By providing such comfortable accommodation in wonderful settings, by taking care of meals and the many organisational elements, the guided walk freed us from any worry about such things and allowed us to just enjoy the experience to its fullest.

As if the walk built to a memorable climax, we are left with a still undiminished mental picture of a laughter filled final night, great food, great company watching members of our party entertaining us with a program of exotic interpretive dance, two even seeking to recreate the evolution of the hybrid tree.

That memory will hopefully be the only one that fades over time.

Thanks Patrick and Will, thanks to Cradle Mountain Huts and thanks to our fellow travelers.

A Tale from... Cradle Mountain Huts 6 day walk - 30 Jan 2012

2012-02-14T00:00:00Z

I was one of an intrepid group of 10 walkers and 3 guides who set off into the Tasmanian wilderness on January 30. I'd brought the awful weather with me for the first day, but that is all part of the experience, and each succeeding day dawned better than the last. This was my very first long distance hike, and although I'd been training for many months and had read about the track, it really was a journey into the unknown for me. What I got was an incredible 6 days - wonderful sights, great views, great company, and good food and wine every day. Of course, some parts of the track are quite challenging, but that’s also part of the experience, and I look back on the walk with a great sense of achievement. I would have liked to have done the optional Mt Ossa climb (it was my birthday, after all), but I decided that will have to wait for another day – it was a bridge too far on this occasion. Six of our walkers did make the effort, and all were successful. The huts were excellent, and not at all what you would expect to find in such a remote location – a very welcome sight after a day of hiking. Our guides Gretel, Kinara and Shelly were an inspiration. They were always enthusiastic and obviously love their work – who wouldn’t with a workplace like that? Their knowledge of the landscape and environment, and their attention to detail, was excellent. And of course there was the wonderful food they prepared - even freshly baked bread. Thank you so much for allowing me to experience this World Heritage area. And I will be back, hopefully sooner rather than later - I have unfinished business with Mt Ossa.

A Tale from... Cradle Mountain Huts 6 day walk - 20 Jan 2012

2012-02-09T00:00:00Z

I had heard from others that the walk was an enjoyable one and I went expecting a nice six day walk but did not place higher expectations on it than that. The whole thing far exceeded my expectations... The company of the 3 other couples was most enjoyable and the guides were especially wonderful. Grant and Anna were enthusiastic and had a true passion for the environment, they had excellent knowledge and were genuine in their enjoyment of the group of people they had under their 'care'. These two people were pivotal to making the whole thing loads of fun. Of course I found the walk to be incredibly well organised and 6 consecutive days of brilliant sunshine was also very easy to take!
I brought my travel tales and treasured memories back to rainy, gloomy Queensland!!!
Many thanks to you all especially to Grant and Anna.

A Tale from... Cradle Mountain Huts 6 day walk - 23 Jan 2012

2012-02-06T00:00:00Z

What an amazing experience it was to walk through such pristine wilderness in 6 days of sunshine. The guides Emily, rob and trainee Jo were highly professional and a wealth of information regarding the local flora and fauna, and historical matters. The cabins were terrific and the food amazing,I loved not cooking for the week!.Most of all it was such incredible scenery and a joy to walk through with such a nice group of people. It was a challenging walk but I cant wait to do it again!!.It was that good!!

A Tale from... Cradle Mountain Huts 6 day walk - 15 Jan 2012

2012-01-30T00:00:00Z

The magnificent varied scenery was illuminated by the knowledgeable commentary from our wonderful guides, Emily and Lachie, whose fun filled enthusiasm abounded, from encouraging us to sample alpine lake swimming each day, to creating delicious and varied food, to sharing their considerable skills with the guitar in the evening!
We cannot rave enough about the attention to detail evident from all staff involved in creating a superb holiday in this amazing landscape. Many thanks, Bruna & Simon Evans

A Tale from... Cradle Mountain Huts 6 day walk - 06 Jan 2012

2012-01-28T00:00:00Z

Great group of people to walk with.
Scenery stunning.
Guides Anna and Ben "first rate!"
Highly recommend.
Have walked/tramped extensively in NZ and OZ.

A Tale from... Cradle Mountain Huts 6 day walk - 09 Jan 2012

2012-01-23T00:00:00Z

It was an awesome experience. I’d like to take a moment to share my feedback on the high standard of service offered by Andy, our guide. In short, he was fantastic.
Throughout the entire trip he demonstrated care, concern, humour, enthusiasm, deep knowledge of the mountain/the track, safety, timeliness/efficiency & thoughtfulness. Often, he went above and beyond any job description and helped make the trip a memorable and enjoyable.

A Tale from... Cradle Mountain Huts 6 day walk - 10 Dec 2011

2012-01-19T00:00:00Z

Kim and Emily collected their multicultural charges and put out feet upon the Cradle Mountain track. Their patience, professionalism, knowledge and sense of fun ensured our experience was thoroughly satisfying and informative.

The whole operation from the guides, the accommodation, the food and wine, the wonderful hot showers, toasty drying room and cosy beds was amazing and I encourage any fit, adventurous person of any age to have a go.

I was amazed at the floral diversity but diappointed not to see the wombats that had left all those enticing little square pillows to tease me.

Thanks Cradle Huts, especially Emily and Kim

A Tale from... Cradle Mountain Huts 6 day walk - 12 Jan 2012

2012-01-19T00:00:00Z

to all at cradle huts we had a fantastic time. The guides Anna and Sam were incredible, there knowledge and enthusiasm for the job was there for all to see. My wife had a couple of issues with blisters and soreness of joints and Anna's patience and experience came to the fore to make the trip fantastic. We walked with a great bunch of people we know call friends and would recommend the experience to anyone. Thank you Cradle Huts. Brett and Bronwyn Thomas

Terre Sauvage - Tasmanie L'Overland Track

2011-10-07T00:00:00Z

Tasmanie L'Overland Track, un bijo ecologique

Gourmet Traveller - 2011 Readers' Choice

2011-07-01T00:00:00Z

2011 Readers' Choice Awards

Overland Track

Best Adventure Holiday Destination in Australia

2011 Readers' Choice Awards (PDF) PDF File – 712.1 KB

The Morning Bulletin, December 2010

2011-01-05T00:00:00Z

It’s rough going but worth trekking the Overland Track

Senior Magazine, September 2010

2010-10-14T00:00:00Z

‘Roughing it’ will never be the same.

Senior Magazine, September 2010 PDF File – 58.8 KB

Mind Food - September 2010

2010-10-14T00:00:00Z

Into The Wild

Reawaken your sense of wonder, rekindle your adventurous spirit and enjoy the restorative power of sweet solitude on Tasmania's famed Overland Track.

All set for the Tasmanian walking season

2010-10-11T00:00:00Z

The 2010-2011 walking season for the 6-day Cradle Mountain Huts and 4-day Bay of Fires Walk started on Friday 1st October. Both walks will run daily departures through to 1st May 2011. Read the first-hand account of what it takes to get ready for a new season on the Overland Track from our operations manager Melody Wisse.

“We recently spent a couple of days helicoptering supplies up into the huts at Cradle, a great wintertime activity in the mountains... at least after we had dug the snow out from around the hut doors!

After all the supplies were safely in the hut, the helicopter flew off, leaving a crew of four of us in the park to set up the huts ready for the new season.

It takes two to three days per hut to scrub out all the storage areas, put everything away, clean and set up the rooms, clean all the walls, clean absolutely EVERYTHING in the kitchen, set up the outside areas and double check that everything is ready for the new season. That timeline was quite handy because it meant that a lot of the snow had melted by the time we were ready to head on from the first hut, so walking was a lot easier... and incredibly beautiful.

It's a very quiet time of year, in fact the four of us didn't see another person for almost a week after we started! Some of that would also have been because we spent so much time buried in our own huts with our scrubbing brushes!

Around the middle of our walk we got some absolutely incredible days: cool and clear, without a cloud in the sky. So it probably comes as little surprise that around the middle of the trip we took the opportunity, when we were walking from Pelion to Kia Ora hut one evening, to dash off the main track up the side of a mountain to watch the sunset.

It was absolutely magnificent and gave me a chance to pull out my camera... and left us refreshed, euphoric and ready to scrub out the next two huts.

We caught the ferry out on a Saturday and, after the obligatory swim in the snowmelt in Lake St Clair, jumped in the car with the satisfaction of a job well done, and looking forward to getting back out again for the start of the season.”

BOOK NOW:
E. bookings@cradlehuts.com.au
T. (03) 6392 2211

Travel with friends and Save

2009-07-24T00:00:00Z

Travel in a group of ten people - save 10%

Cradle Mountain Huts and Bay of Fires Walks depart daily between 1 October and 1 May each year, with a maximum of ten people per group walking with two guides. You can guarantee an exclusive departure by booking ten people together on a departure. Plus, if you can get together a group of ten people everyone will save 10% on the tour price.

WHEN? Group discount valid for departures
1 October 2010 – 1 May 2011

WHAT’S INCLUDED?

An exclusive departure for your group
Accommodation for the duration of the walk
Return transfers from Launceston
All meals and beverages
2 guides & maximum 10 guests per group
Use of backpack and Gore-Tex^® jacket
National Park passes

BOOK NOW: Available departures for exclusive groups are filling quickly. Simply book online or call (03) 6392 2211 or email bookings@cradlehuts.com.au

Please note: This offer cannot be combined with any other special deals released during the year.

Best Trek Experience

2008-06-10T00:00:00Z

June 2008: Travelling in Australia magazine awards Cradle Mountain Huts “Best Trek Experience” in “Australia’s 20 Best Experiences Awards”. Announced in the latest issue of the magazine, the awards were judged by qualified Aussie Specialist travel agents from around the world.