Cradle Mountain Guided Walking Tour
4 Day OVERLAND TRACK Walk Itinerary
A four day fully guided walk starting at Waldheim in Cradle Valley, south along the Overland Track and then west along the Innes Track to Arm River near Lake Rowallan, all located within Cradle Mountain - Lake St Clair National Park and Tasmania’s World Heritage Area. The private huts have hot showers, twin share rooms and delicious meals with Tasmanian wine.
Day One - Cradle Valley to Barn Bluff Hut (12km, 7 hours)
Cradle Mountain Huts guests meet at our walkers' base at Quamby Estate at 6.50am (Launceston pick-up is 6.15am from Peppers Seaport Hotel). After a gear check, introductions and light breakfast we journey to Waldheim in Cradle Valley. We then set off on the track by 11am. By lunch time we have walked through our first section of ancient temperate rainforest, have witnessed the dramatic glacially carved Crater Lake and the steepest section of the whole Overland Track is behind us. The steep section is mostly stepped and takes us about an hour. It gets us onto Marion’s Lookout which (hopefully) offers famous and spectacular views of Cradle Mountain with Dove Lake at its base - worth every step.
If the weather is fine we stop for lunch by the peaceful Plateau Creek before continuing for about another 4 hours around the base of Cradle Mountain, out along the edge of a spectacular glacial cirque then dropping into Waterfall Valley which we cross before arriving at our hut at the base of the towering Barn Bluff. Several hours of this days’ walk is over an exposed alpine plateau which allows great views on a clear day but in rough weather the wind howls over the land making for exciting and sometimes challenging walking conditions. Some of the track is uneven under foot, however, we take our time to walk carefully and make sure we still look at the wonderful scenery all around.
Day Two - Barn Bluff Hut to Pine Forest Moor Hut (12km, 6 hours)
The walking today is undulating with a few sections of exposed moorland. There are no large hills and the once notoriously muddy Pine Forest Moor is now a duckboard path over the mud!! We do offer an optional side trip to Lake Will. We travel across plains where once glaciers sat and slowly moved, scouring out shallow tarns. Now we see plains of button grass with ancient Pencil Pines sitting with their roots in the water. Rising from the moors, the peaks of Cradle Mountain and Barn Bluff are behind us to the north, and the stately Mount Pelion West directly ahead. Take advantage of the viewing opportunities at several lookout points and complete the day through an enchanting rainforest.
Day Three - Pine Forest Moor Hut to Pelion Hut (10km, 5 hours)
Today we begin with a long slow descent around the base of Mt Pelion West down to the Forth River before it plunges into the Lemonthyme Valley. After a break at Frog Flats by the Forth River, we have a long gentle ascent out of the valley onto the beautiful Pelion Plains with outstanding views of Mount Oakleigh. There are many side trips in the Pelion Plains area with mountains all around, some excellent swimming holes, abandoned copper mines, or simply peaceful and humbling spots to rest quietly.
Day Four - Pelion Hut to Arm River Valley (14km, 6 hours)
Today we head east, crossing Pelion Plains and following the southern shore of Lake Ayr, mainly wandering through open eucalypt forests and across buttongrass plains. We then follow a gradual incline along the Innes Track before having lunch near Wurragarra Creek. From this point the view is dominated by Mount Pillinger and the peaks along the Overland Track. After lunch we pass the still waters of Lake Price before the sharp descent into the Arm River valley to meet the bus. The return trip to Quamby Estate takes us through the Mole Creek Karst National Park and the arts and crafts town of Deloraine.
