Cradle Mountain is hands-down one of the most stunning spots in Tassie, and honestly, it’s worth every step to explore properly. I tackled both the Dove Lake Circuit and the summit hike in one big day, and let me tell you – it was BIG!

The Dove Lake Circuit is about 6km and takes around 2-3 hours at a cruisy pace. It’s such a beautiful track, winding around the lake with views of Cradle Mountain popping up constantly. Perfect for snapping pics or just soaking in the serenity. But the real adventure kicks off when you head up to the summit. That hike is no joke – it’s steep and rocky, but oh so worth it. The summit climb itself takes about 5-6 hours return from the Dove Lake carpark, so make sure you’ve got decent shoes and plenty of snacks. All up, it took me the whole day, and I was absolutely wrecked (I remember laying in the back of the van afterwards for HOURS before driving out of the park lol). Oh, and bring enough water – I didn’t, and ended up drinking from the fresh mountain streams, which thankfully felt like nature’s own hydration station.

The cherry on top of the experience? I bumped into Tony Abbott at the summit. ICONIC!

To get there, you’ll need to park at the Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre and jump on the shuttle bus to Dove Lake. They run super regularly, so it’s all really convenient. Just keep in mind that pets aren’t allowed, as it’s a national park, but you’ll see plenty of friendly wildlife – wombats, echidnas, and maybe even a cheeky wallaby.

If you’re up for a challenge, love jaw-dropping views, and want a story to tell, this is the place to tick off your Tassie bucket list. Just don’t forget the water!

Here's my Instagram caption to give you an indication LOL:

Our palms were sweaty, knees week, arms were heavy... vomit on our sweaters (bc we only packed 1.5L of water) 😅 To send off our tassie travels like true stereotypical tourists, we conquered the 7 hour trek around beautiful Cradle ⛰ and gosh was it ~memorable~ 🙌🏽 In addition to bumping into TONY ABBOTT at the summit, our step count was 🆙 and morale was high! Well worth it, just pack more water than us xx