Cradle Mountain - Lake St Clair National Park is located in the Central Highlands of Tasmania, 165 kilometres northwest of Hobart. There are many hiking trails throughout the park, and it is from here that the famous Overland Track begins. The main attractions of the park are Cradle Mountain and Barn Bluff in the north, Pelion East, Pelion West, Oakley Mountain and Ossa Mountain in the center and Lake St. Clair in the south. Since 1982, the park has been a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Wildlife of Tasmania".
The park is unusually rich in endemic species - 40-55 per cent of the park's alpine flora is found nowhere else in the world. The park's animals include wallabies, mottled martens, Tasmanian devils, echidnas, wombats, possums and other Australian species. Eleven of the 12 endemic bird species have been recorded here.
The first European to visit the park in 1910 was Gustav Weindorfer. He bought a plot of land here and in 1912 built a small guest chalet, which he called Waldheim, which means "forest cottage". Unfortunately, the chalet has not survived - it burned down in a fire. But in 1976, here in the Cradle Valley, an exact replica of Waldheim was built, which still welcomes tourists today. Incidentally, it was Gustav Weindorfer and his wife, Kate, who actively campaigned for the area to be given protected status. In 1922 the 64,000-hectare area between Cradle Mountain and St Clair Lake was declared a nature reserve and in 1971 a national park.
In 1935, a 6-day Overland Track route was laid out through the park, which began to offer tours and brought the park extraordinary popularity for its breathtaking views. The rugged contours of Cradle Mountain, ancient rainforests and alpine meadows, picturesque beaches and untouched wildlife are the main assets of the park.
To explore the park, it's worth the 2-hour hike along the trail to Lake Dove, which will lead to the foot of the majestic Cradle Mountain. Experienced travellers will enjoy the world-famous Overland Track, a 65-kilometre trek from Cradle Mountain to Lake St Clair, Australia's deepest lake (167 metres). The Aboriginal people called it Liavulina, which means "sleeping water".
