Travel Guides and Stories

Cradle Mountain, along with Wine Glass Bay and Port Arthur, is one of Tasmania's three most famous tourist attractions and a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park is located in northwestern Tasmania, formed by glacial action hundreds of millions of years ago. It's about a five-hour drive from the capital Hobart, requiring several mountain passes to reach. Fortunately, Australia's excellent road system makes these winding mountain roads manageable. Due to its elevation, it rains about two-thirds of the year. A famous French photographer made three arduous attempts to capture Cradle Mountain in sunlight but had to return home disappointed each time due to rain - that's how captivating this place is. I was incredibly lucky - on my first visit last year I saw it covered in snow, and this time I caught it in brilliant sunshine. I can't help but marvel at this magical mountain that has thrived since the age of dinosaurs. First, let me share some comparison photos from both seasons:

Honestly, I've never been anywhere where you can only hear your own breathing when you're still, afraid to move lest you break the silence. This is Cradle Mountain. The management thoughtfully designed three routes for visitors - Easy, Moderate, and Difficult - categorized by climbing difficulty and distance. The Difficult route is popular among outdoor enthusiasts as it takes 7-10 days to complete. When we visited, we saw a group of hikers with tents and survival gear preparing for the ascent. The Easy route, designed for most tourists, circles Dove Lake at the mountain's base, taking 2-3 hours to enjoy the wonderful scenery along the way.

World Heritage Site marker. Without further ado, let's start with Cradle Mountain in summer sunshine - different angles of the mountain:

These two stunning photos of Cradle Mountain I found on Renren, borrowed from Tony Xu's work. They're too beautiful to mix with my amateur shots...

Mountain stream - nature's delicate handiwork

The surrounding waters have this reddish iron tint due to high iron content. When we got thirsty from hiking, we drank directly from the stream - it was surprisingly sweet and didn't cause any stomach issues! While hiking, we waded through water off the main path and discovered this hidden paradise surrounded by lake water and forest:

Singing in the trees~ Tasmania is now one of the few places in the world with large areas of temperate rainforest. Conservation here is excellent - even in tourist areas they minimize artificial construction to protect natural vegetation. Some famous tourist spots don't even have paved roads, keeping natural trails instead.