Cradle Mountain - Lake St Clair National Park

A super-destination in the high country and a hike to remember

Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park is the northern gateway to the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area and it's as wild and natural as it gets. Its jagged mountain backdrops the wild landscape while ancient heath and colourful deciduous rainforest just wait to be enjoyed during a bus stop-off, for a few days or even longer.

World Heritage listings are granted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to preserve natural and cultural icons of outstanding value to all the world's people. Its cultural icons include India's Taj Mahal and the Pyramids of Egypt, while its natural icons include the Ha Long Bay in Vietnam and Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. In total only 851 icons are listed worldwide, of which 166 are natural icons. Australia is home to 11 of the world's 166 natural icons.

Free guided summer activities in the park include nocturnal wildlife walks, guided day walks and slide shows. There's also horse riding, canoeing, mountain biking, trout fishing August to April, and close encounters with Tasmanian devils just outside of the National Park.

Wallabies and wombats abound and allow you within a metre or two and the spectacular vegetation includes pandani, king billy pines and cushion plants.

The Overland Track from Cradle Mountain is a wilderness trek past icy cascades and tranquil lakes close by Mt Ossa, Tasmania's highest mountain at 1617 metres, before finishing 65-kilometres away at Australia's deepest waterway, Lake St Clair.

The north-to-south hike normally takes six days but it's up to you. Bookings and a fee are required. Some people find it physically demanding so you need preparation and fitness.

A maximum of 60 walkers set off each day but neither the weather nor overnight hut spaces are guaranteed so you need a tent as emergency shelter. January and February are usually warm days (up to 30?C) while July and August can be -10?C with a snowfall of 200-300mm.

It's an eight-hour return walk to the top of Cradle Mountain (1545 metres or 5068 feet above sea level) and some people find it quite demanding but there are easier walks lower down. If walking is too tough, it's even more wonderful by helicopter!