Day 8 - Tasmania and the Cradle Mountains
We cruised south from Melbourne overnight, crossing the Bass Strait to Burnie, Tasmania. Our day-long tour was to the Cradle Mountain-Lake St. Clair National Park in central Tasmania. Bus trip was about 90 minutes each way which gave the driver/tour guide plenty of time to tell us all about life/living in Tasmania. They are big lumber exporters, their biggest customers by far are in mainland China. After we came back from the cruise we went to the theater to see the movie "Lion", parts of which were set in and filmed in Tasmania.
The port of Burnie on the north shore of Tasmania. | View from the bus on our way to Cradle Mountain. Cut lumber stacked everywhere. |
Welcome sign at entrance to Cradle Mountain National Park | Pretty waterfall at the entrance to the park. |
At the "Interpretation Center" there was a marked trail through a rainforest. | Wooden walkway through the rainforest. |
Many of the individual trees and plants were marked. | Pretty flowers. |
Another view of the trail walkway | Look, there's Myrtle Beech!? |
Hiking information at entrance to Dove Lake. Only in Australia would they list a 6-8 hour grade 5 hike to the summit of a mountain and back as a "short walk." | Angela posing with Dove Lake in the background. |
Another shot of the two of us with Dove Lake Cradle Mountain in the background | Incredible view of the lake and surrounding mountain peaks. |
Panoramic view of Dove Lake and Cradle Mountain. Wow! |