Lake St Clair
Carved out by ice during several glaciations, Lake St Clair is the deepest lake in Australia and the headwaters of the Derwent River, upon which the capital city of Tasmania is located. It has an area of 1,114 km2 , and a maximum depth of 200 m. The area around Lake St Clair offers a wealth of walks, ranging from leisurely strolls to overnight bushwalks, as well as beautiful forests to explore.
Lake St Clair is at the southern end of the world famous Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park and is part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. The area around Lake St Clair offers a wealth of walks, ranging from leisurely strolls to overnight bushwalks, as well as beautiful forests to explore. Lake St Clair is also the end point of the famous Overland Track, a long-distance walk which runs from Cradle Mountain in the north to Cynthia Bay on the southern shore of Lake St Clair.
Pumphouse Point
Start your visit to Lake St Clair by calling in to the park centre. There, via innovative displays, you can take a trip through time that shows how the Lake St Clair area has developed from ancient times through to the present day. To help you make the most of your stay, information officers are available at the centre seven days a week. They can advise you on what to do and where to go and assist with general enquiries. There are picnic facilities with barbecues at Cynthia Bay. Wheelchair accessible toilets are located at the park centre. The area also has a general store and restaurant, public telephone and outdoor seating facilities.
Through a Private Operator, canoes, bicycles and motorised dingies are available for hire. Contact the Private Operator on (03) 6289 1137 for details.
How to get there: Lake St Clair is at the southern end of Cradle Mountain Lake St Clair National Park. It is 2 1/2 hours west of Hobart via the Lyell Highway (A10) and a similar distance from Launceston via Longford and Poatina. At Derwent Bridge turn right onto the 5 1/2km long access road to the lake at Cynthia Bay. From Queenstown the Lyell Highway is a winding and narrow 1 1/2 hour drive.
Both the Lyell Highway and the access road from Derwent Bridge may occasionally be closed by snow in winter.
There is no direct road link through the Cradle Mountain- Lake St Clair National Park to join the two ends of the park. Visitors may most easily reach Cradle Mountain via the Cradle Link Road (C132) and the Murchison and Lyell Highways (A10).
A passenger launch operates from Cynthia Bay to Narcissus Bay at the northern end of the lake. It provides a leisurely way to experience the lake and mountains of the Lake St Clair area. For the more energetic it is possible to walk back via part of the Overland Track. Launch bookings can be made at the general store or by phoning (03) 6289 1137. Contact the concessionaire phone (03) 6289 1137
Camping is available at Cynthia Bay. For further details please contact the concessionaire on ph (03) 6289 1137.
A Backpacker/Travellers Hostel is also available at Cynthia Bay with 2 and 4 bunk rooms and refectory kitchen. Unique alpine-style units are also operated privately by the concessionaire phone (03) 6289 1137. Accomodation is also available outside the park at Derwent Bridge.
Barn Bluff
The Overland Track is one of Australia's most famous bush walks, situated in the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, Tasmania. More than 8000 walkers each year complete the track. Officially, the track runs for 65 km from Cradle Mountain to Lake St Clair. However, many choose to add the hike along Lake St Clair as a natural extension, bringing the length to 82 km.
The track winds through through the heart of Tasmania's World Heritage-listed wilderness on this famous 65-kilometre trek from Cradle Mountain to Lake St Clair. The terrain ranges from sheer mountains, temperate rainforest, wild rivers and alpine plains.
The Labyrinth Track
Aside from the main track there are also several alternative side tracks, including to the summits of Cradle Mountain and Mount Ossa, the tallest mountain in Tasmania. Also within reach are a group of tarns called The Labyrinth and Lake St Clair (the deepest lake in Australia). World-renowned for its pristine environment and beauty, the walk has been compared to New Zealand's Milford Track.
Walkers complete the trail in 5 6 days. This is normally done from north to south, which is the mandatory direction between 1 November and 30 April. The record time is 7 hours and 25 minutes, achieved by Andy Kromar during the Cradle Mountain Run.
The landscape was all carved by glaciers during the last ice age, and the prominent mountains are composed of dolerite columns. The climate is generally unstable, with temperatures ranging from hot in summer to below zero in winter. Snow can fall at anytime and is common during the winter, especially on the Cradle Mountain Plateau and around Mount Ossa. Rain is very common, sometimes torrential though often settling to days of drizzle.
The trail is mostly well defined and adequately marked. The trail condition however varies greatly. There are long sections of duckboard (boardwalk) which consist of split logs embedded in the ground, held together with wire and nails. Where there is no duckboard, the conditions can sometimes be very muddy. In winter, the mud is frozen solid early in the morning, however offsetting this is the problem of slippery ice on the duckboard. The mud is not nearly as frequent or deep as hikes in the south west, due mainly to the duckboard.
Mt Ossa
Inexperienced walkers are advised to undertake the walk in summer, when the days are longer and the weather milder. The number of visitors is controlled in summer by the 'Overland Pass' a limited number of which are available. The walk is not challenging provided that walkers are adequately prepared with proper equipment.
Remember the end-to-end walk requires planning. You'll need to book in advance with Tasmania s Parks & Wildlife Service and take with you a good tent and warm sleeping bag. While the route has eight basic stove-heated huts, there is no guarantee of space.
The best time to walk the track is between November and April, when the weather is milder and days are longer for Daylight Saving. During April, you can see the spectacular changing colours of the deciduous beech. As well as a physical challenge, this walk is a true communion with nature. You'll see lakes, forests and gorges, mountains and moors, spectacular waterfalls and steep, stony peaks.
The Overland Track
The Overland Track