Cradle Mountain Overland Track Tour

Itinerary

Day 1 Launceston

Your group will meet at a 3 star Hotel in central Launceston at 2pm. It is essential you attend this meeting. Your guides will conduct a trip briefing including a thorough gear check, distribution of food and equipment supplied by G.A.P Adventures and packing assistance. Your guides will also have any hire equipment you may have arranged to collect and they will inform you of timing for the following mornings transfer to Cradle Mountain. The meeting usually winds up around 5pm and often group members like to gather for some dinner and a drink later in the evening.

Day 2 Launceston to Cradle Mountain (L,D)

Today we begin our journey to Cradle Mountain with a 7am Hotel Pickup. The drive to Cradle Mt Lake St Clair National Park takes approximately 3 hours including a mid journey leg stretch in Sheffield – Tasmania’s town of murals. We drive the short distance down to Dove Lake where our Overland Track Trek begins and we start with a long climb that takes us onto the Cradle Plateau. During the first few hours of trekking we get a taste of what’s in store for the following days – open eucalypt woodlands, lush green cool-temperate rainforest and open button grass plains. We then climb through the splendid deciduous Nothofagus Gunnii onto exposed alpine herb fields with spectacular views of Cradle Mountain and Barn Bluff if the weather allows and a true appreciation of the Roaring 40’s if not! This first day is one of the longest of the trek as we make our way to Waterfall Valley Campsite for our first night under the stars.

Day 3 Waterfall Valley to Lake Windermere (B, L, D)

Today we continue south from Waterfall Valley to Lake Windermere. A leisurely day that offers time to explore the waterfalls, and a side trip past the diggings of Joseph Will a coal prospector in the 1800’s to Innes Falls. By Lake Will we will have the opportunity for a relaxing lunch by the sandy shores and twisted pencil pines. After lunch we can stroll to the southern end of the lake to take in Innes Falls. Returning to our packs back at the turn off to Lake Holmes we head back across the rolling button grass plains towards our campsite at Lake Windermere. Tonight we will be camping amongst the Richea Pandanifloia, Eucalypts and many beautiful flowering endemic plants. We spend the afternoon relaxing taking in the fabulous views deep into the Wild Rivers. National Park and maybe a swim in the lake. Lake Windermere is also a great place to meet some of our native animals.

Day 4 Lake Windermere to Pelion Plains (B, L, D)

Today is a wild day of moorlands and mountain views. Our morning takes us across Pine Forest Moor offering stark landscape and views east across the Forth River Valley to the heights of Mount Oakleigh and to our day’s destination, Pelion Plains, at its base. From undulating Buttongrass vistas into the forested slopes of Mount Pelion West, we descend around the mountain to a popular lunch spot at Frog Flats. Surrounded on all sides by towering dolerite peaks, this is the head waters of the Forth River which spills off the plateau into the Lemonthyme Valley. Our afternoon takes us up onto Pelion Plains with marvelous views of fluted Mount Oakleigh and some of the biggest wombats our guides have seen in the park!!! We make camp near Douglas Creek and here your guides will make time to collect supplies at our main food drop located nearby.

Day 5 Pelion Plains to Kia Ora (B, L, D)

Waking to the calls of Tasmania’s native birds, most notably the Karrowong and Yellow Throated Wattle Bird a spectacular day in the mountains awaits us! We climb off Pelion Plains through beautiful green forests of Sassafras and Myrtles covered in rich mosses and lichens. As we ascend we start to come into Eucalypt forests where before our eyes the view opens up to reveal Cathedral Mountain, Pelion East on our left followed by Mount Ossa on our right. We rest at the saddle (1113 meters) between Mount Pelion East and Mount Ossa. Mount Ossa, Tasmania’s highest peak (1617m) is without a doubt the highlight point of the Overland Track. In fine weather we hope to have time to climb one of these peaks – perhaps even lunch on top!! With magnificent views in all directions we continue south into the beautiful Pinestone Valley. Depending upon the day’s activities we set camp somewhere between here and Du Cane Hut – once the bush home of trapper Paddy Hartnett and his wife.

Day 6 Kia Ora to Windy Ridge (B, L, D)

This morning we wake up in our warm tents nestled beneath the crags of Cathedral Mountain and Mount Massif. After breakfast we head off for a day surrounded by towering rainforests of Leatherwood and Sassafras tress, heading towards three of Tasmania’s largest and most spectacular waterfalls. The first we visit is Ferguson Falls, named after a former ranger at Lake St. Clair followed by Dalton Falls. The third of these large falls is Hartnett Falls, once again named after the eccentric bushman with the bowler hat Paddy Hartnett. Hartnett Falls makes a great place to have lunch and relax in the afternoon sun, before returning to our packs and heading for Du Cane Gap and down into the rich Myrtle forests. We make camp around Windy Ridge. This Valley is a great example of a U-shaped Glacier, coming down into this valley you will notice large boulders just sitting there, these were moved slowly down the Valley by the last great ice age.

Day 7 Windy Ridge to Lake St Clair (B, L)

This morning we pack our backpacks for the final day on the track, which takes us through dry sclerophyll forest toward the shores of Lake St Clair. As we travel down the trail Acropolis Mountain appears to our right and as we continue walking out onto the grass area called the Bowling Green we can clearly take in the views of this massive Mountain. Nearing Lake St Clair we come out into open Button Grass plains and straight in front of us is Mount Olympus at the foot of Lake St. Clair. From Narcissus we catch the ferry service for a 20-minute trip down Lake St Clair, the deepest natural lake in the southern hemisphere, providing a spectacular conclusion to our Overland Track Tour as we look back upon the mountains we’ve travelled through. After some time to inspect the visitor centre and indulge in a beverage we board the bus for our return drive across Tasmania’s Central Plateau to Launceston. Our luggage will meet us at our Hotel in Launceston where we will be dropped off at approximately 6pm. It is customary for the group and their guides to get together for an evening meal to celebrate the achievement of completing Australia’s premier extended bushwalk – The Overland Track.

Day 8 Depart Launceston

Today depart at any time.

Trip Details

Accommodation	Hotel (2 nts), wilderness camping (5 nts)
Group Size	Max 10, Avg 8
Included Highlights	6 Day Guided Trek on The Overland Track, ferry ride on Lake St Claire.
Local Payment	AUD200
Meals Included	5 Breakfast, 6 Lunches, 5 Dinners
Recommendation	If you like to hike check out the Larapinta Trek in Australia OALT.
StartFinish	ex Launceston
Transport	Minibus, ferry, walking
Brochure Intro	The Overland Track is Australia’s premier extended bushwalk. The Cradle Mountain Lake St Clair National Park is renowned for its abundant wildlife, rare and unusual vegetation and dramatic scenery. Averaging just 12km per day, there are plenty of opportunities to appreciate the highlights and side trips. Savor this remote landscape, with highlights such as Pelion West, Mount Oakleigh and the Geryons. No special skills are necessary as you let our experienced guides help to bring the track alive for you with their local knowledge and enthusiasm for the Tasmanian wilderness.

When can I go?

Start Date	Finish Date	Places Available
2008-10-12	2008-10-19	7+
2008-11-09	2008-11-16	7+
2008-12-07	2008-12-14	7+
2008-12-14	2008-12-21	7+
2009-01-04	2009-01-11	7+
2009-01-18	2009-01-25	7+
2009-02-08	2009-02-15	7+
2009-02-22	2009-03-01	7+
2009-03-15	2009-03-22	7+

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