Mark Smalley

Monday, 28 Mar - Cradle Mountain
My toasting of hot cross buns triggers off a fire alarm. I figure out how to disarm it but can't help thinking about Inspector Clouseau reporting back to the manager "I have tested your alurm. There will be no charge."

Starting at 0800 the drive to Cradle Mountains took 5 hours for the 300 km via the Mole Creek route, not stopping much. Tanked 21 l at 307 km for $25. The last hour of this route zig-zagged through mountainous area.
We've booked 2 nights at the Cradle Mountain Highlanders (www.cradlehighlander.com.au ), just outside the national park. We've got a secluded Woodlander Hut with self-contained facilities and a breakfast basket for $110 a night. Very cosy and an enchanting location.
Cradle Valley is the starting point of the famous 64 km Overland Track that takes five or six days (http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/recreation/tracknotes/overland.html ) and end up at Lake St Clair, close to Derwent Bridge where we'll spend Thursday night.
We drive to Dove Lake to do the 6 km walk around it. It's busy at first but seems to thin out after a while.
I oblige 3 Japanese by taking a picture of them in front of the photogenic lake. When I give the camera back I'm provided with a second one. And after that a third one. Very amusing.
Occasionally a plane or helicopter flies around, presumably scenic flights with www.adventureflights.com.au.
The walk around the lake is excellent. It's clear and quiet. Wonderful views with the sun enhancing the reflections. It's partially set behind the mountains at 1645, after 2h45m, we're back at the car park. I've taken about 60 photos but want reduce them to about 12.

On the drive back we stop at the Visitor Centre and buy a map of the area. After the short Rainforest Walk we see some marsupials hopping around, they're either the Bennetts wallaby or the Tasmanian pademelon according to our leaflet.
When we get back to our hut we see some Morris Minors that were at the Rally in Hobart on Saturday. There are also wallabies close to the hut. It's cooled off enough to warrant turning the gas fire on, very cosy. Meal is a salad with ham, boiled eggs, coleslaw, olives, herb forcaccia rolls.

Just as the day starts with an incident it ends with an one as well. During the meal when Marijke sees a spider on the floor. Australia has a number of very dangerous examples so with a "Crikey!" I do a Steve Irwin, picking it up with a cloth and throwing it out of the door.

It's a clear night and the southern sky is bright, especially the fullish moon, much more so the at home.

No GPRS here, not even GSM, so we're isolated from the rest of the world for a couple of days.

With 19 km done in the park we're up to 622 km in total.

posted by Mark Smalley @ 2:44 PM