Cradle Mountain check in Wednesday 29th January

 After our recce to Cradle Mountain two days beforehand, we had determined our route via the Bass, Ridgley and Murchinson Highways. Before booking, checking the weather conditions for these days, we booked four nights. While there, we also checked out our premium-powered gravel site to see if it suited us. Site 41 will do just fine. But at $84.50 per night, it's the dearest we've ever paid for a caravan site. 

With check-in at 2pm, I called the park, which advised that because we were on a powered site, they indicated that checking in earlier would not be a problem. We had a leisurely start before driving through Latrobe and onto the Bass Highway to head west and take the Ridgley and Murchison Highways.

Arriving at 11:45, we set up, enjoyed a beer with lunch, and headed towards the visitor centre to purchase our bus tickets at $30 each. Some walks, like the Dove Lake Circuit, are eight kilometres from the centre, so it's impossible not to buy this ticket. That afternoon, we walked along the Enchanted Walk, a 20-minute circuit that leaves from the Interpretation Centre Ranger Station, and then the King Billy Walk. This 40-minute circuit takes you through a rainforest with large, old King Billy pines. Pencil Pine Falls are at the start of the Enchanted Walk.

We had another beer on our return while sitting in the sun, followed by an early dinner of sausages and vegetables cooked on our gas COBB cooker, and then we retired into the warmth of the van.

On our first morning, the temperature inside the van was 8.7 degrees compared to 5.3 outside. Our weather app said it felt like 1 degree. So we turned on our diesel heater and lay in bed until the temperature increased to 16 degrees before making a move and brewing some coffee, followed by breakfast.

Then, we went to the Visitor Centre to catch the eight-kilometre shuttle bus to the Dove Lake dropoff point. The Dove Lake circumnavigation is 6.5 km long, and walking clockwise is recommended. The track includes gravel steps and all-weather boardwalks with steeper sections. Light, misty rain cleared after we started the walk, but the weather remained overcast. The peaks of Cradle Mountain were occasionally covered in clouds, and a cold wind blew on the exposed parts of the walk. 

At the end of the trail is the Boat Shed, built in 1940, and from here, it's a short walk back to catch the shuttle bus.

After another cold morning, the temperature was just one degree warmer than yesterday's. With blue skies forecast for our second day, we decided to head back to Dove Lake to photograph Cradle Mountain and the Boat Shed. 

We took the shuttle bus to the Ronny Creek dropoff point for a different track this time. The famous six-day Overland track begins from this location.

We walked some boardwalks before exiting to view the Waldheim (meaning forest home) Chalet, built in 1910 by Gustav and Kate Weindorfer. After a fire, the original chalet was demolished in 1976 but reconstructed using King Billy Pine shingles.

We then crossed Lilla Creek and continued toward Dove Lake along the Lake Lilla Track.

This track started with boardwalks but progressively got worse and much narrower the closer we got to Lake Lilla. It continued like this until we were almost at Dove Lake.

Lake Lilla with Cradle Mountain in the background.