Trek Tasmania’s Cradle Mountain Overland Track

• Travel: Drive to Cradle Mountain National Park
• Activities Included: Overland Track – Ronny Creek to Waterfall Valley Trek, Cradle Mountain National Park – Marion’s Lookout
• Meals Included: Lunch, Dinner 
• Hiking Distance: 6.5MI / 10KM

Say hello to Tasmania which is home to one of the Australia’s best multi-day hiking trails: the Overland Track. Your journey begins this morning with a pickup at 7am to head out to Cradle Mountain National Park where you’ll begin your hike. Drive from Launceston through lovely Tasmanian scenery to arrive at Ronny Creek in Cradle Valley. Here you’ll start your hike, beginning by walking through small meadows and passing Crater Lake and Crater Creek before enjoying the views at Marion’s Lookout of the famous Cradle Mountain and Dove Lake. Your trek will then lead you down passed the two story kitchen hut and over the shoulder of Cradle Mountain through iconic forests of snow gums. Finally, you’ll descend into Waterfall Valley after passing through Cradle Cirque and the fork in the road for Barn Bluff. Set up camp for the night and enjoy the evening under the stars. 

Please note that the orientation meeting for this tour will take place at 2pm the day before your pick up at Macpac store. Please be sure to bring your gear to this meeting as your guide will assess it to make sure it is suitable for your trip. You will also need to provide insurance and emergency contact information to your group leaders at this time.

• Activities Included: Waterfall Valley to Lake Windermere Trek
• Optional Activities: Barn Bluff Hike 
• Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 
• Hiking Distance: 5MI / 8KM

Today the group will travel through Waterfall Valley on to Lake Windermere. This valley is simply brimming with waterfalls that you’ll get to pass as you trek along the gently rising and falling trail of mostly moorland with some snow gums, pines, and myrtle trees. There is much wildlife to be seen in this valley: Tasmanian devils, echidnas, and wombats if any of them feel like coming out. Also watch out for the distinctive square shaped scat of the wombats which you are almost guaranteed to see. Come to the crest of the moorland for a view of Lake Windermere and trek along the shore to the campsite for tonight. This lake’s dark color is caused by oils and nutrients leaking into the water from the surrounding landscape, so make sure to take some pictures of this unique body of water. 

• Activities Included: Lake Windermere to New Pelion Hut Trek, Forth Gorge Lookout
• Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 
• Hiking Distance: 10.5MI / 17KM

Today is the longest day of your trek, so eat hardy at breakfast this morning before setting out. Begin hiking in the direction of Forth Gorge through light forests and open moorland full of buttongrass. Keep your eyes up as you will be able catch glimpses of the peaks Oakleigh, Ossa, Pelion East and West, as well as the Du Cane Range in the distance. Past Forth Gorge lookout, travel on an undulating trail through a wetland called Frog Flats. Created by the River Forth, this area boasts brightly colored plants and fungi. Your group will soon cross into Pelion Plains where the Forth Valley Track branches off leading to Old Pelion Hut, a historic hut built in the 19th century by copper miners. Before the area was designated at a scenic reserve in 1922, cattle ranchers and trappers traded and worked in this area. One last leg of your journey today brings you to New Pelion Hut, which is at the junction of Overland and Arm River Trails and is the largest of the huts. Set up camp nearby for another relaxing evening. 

• Activities Included: Pelion Plains to Kia Ora Creek Trek
• Optional Activities: Mt Ossa or Mt Pelion East Summit trek
• Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch Dinner 
• Hiking Distance: 5.5MI / 9KM

Your group will begin today with a gentle climb up to Pelion Gap where the trail branches off with Mt. Pelion to the east and Mt. Ossa, Tasmania’s highest peak at 5305 ft, to the west. If the weather permits, you’ll have the option of hiking either peak or remaining at the crossroads. Both summits offer spectacular views of the surrounding landscape. From Pelion Gap after the optional hiking, you’ll pass through glaciated Pinestone Valley and Kia Ora Hut which rests at a creek of the same name below Ducane Range on one side and Cathedral Mountain on the other. You’ll camp near this hut tonight. 

• Activities Included: Kia Ora Creek to Windy Ridge Trek
• Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 
• Hiking Distance: 6MI / 10KM

Today, you and your group will trek all the way to Windy Ridge Hut, the newest hut on the trail. Set out this morning and hike through myrtle and beech forests to DuCane Hut, built by a trapper as a base for this trade in 1910 out of King Billy Pine. You’ll take a quick side hike to see D’Alton, Fergusson, and Hartnett falls which all cascade majestically into the Mersey River. After you’ve had your fill of the falls, take the main trail up a steady climb to Du Cane Gap with picturesque views of Mt Geryon and the Acropolis being the main attractions. Then travel the last leg of your hike today down through eucalyptus groves to Windy Ridge Hut where you’ll set up camp for your last night on the trail. 

• Travel: Drive to Launceston 
• Activities Included: Overland Track – Windy Ridge to Lake St Clair Trek; Cradle Mountain National Park – Lake St Clair Ferry Ride
• Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch 
• Hiking Distance: 6MI / 10KM

Today is your last day on the Overland Track, so make it your best. After packing up camp, you’ll descent down into a valley full of temperate rainforest and eucalyptus trees with the Narcissus River running through it. Pass the junction for Du Cane Range and the Pine Valley Hut which serve as the starting point for the climb to the Acropolis and the Labyrinth. Hike on a suspension bridge over the Narcissus River and catch a glimpse of your final destination: Lake St Clair. Your group will enjoy a ferry ride across the lake to Cynthia Bay where you’ll hop in the van for the ride back to Launceston where you’ll end your tour around 4:30.