4
Introductory to Moderate

Traveller Rating

 

Activities
  • 6 days walking with medium sized backpack
Accommodation
  • 5 nights private hut accommodation
Meals
  • 5 Dinners
  • 6 Lunches
  • 5 Breakfasts

6 Days$4195AUD

Trip Code: CHO

Trip highlights


  • Cradle Mountain Huts Overland Track is a trip of the Great Walks of Tasmania
  • Discover the rare beauty and extraordinary diversity of Tasmania’s world heritage-listed Cradle Mountain - Lake St. Clair National Park
  • Enjoy a steaming hot shower and fresh-baked afternoon tea, then enjoy the simple pleasures of life in a bush hut
  • Views into the heart of the World Heritage Area

This six day hut-based walk is a fabulous way to experience the iconic Overland Track within Tasmania's World Heritage Area. The walk extends from Cradle Valley to Lake St. Clair through a variety of spectacular landscapes and features a huge diversity of flora and fauna; glacial lakes, rainforests and craggy peaks which sit side by side with wombats, echidnas, wallabies and Tasmanian devils, who all make this region their home. Each evening's accommodation is in one of five ecologically sustainable private huts nestled away in this remarkable park. Just off the Overland Track, each hut is a haven to retreat to at the end of the day and features hot showers, a potbelly heater and twin-share rooms with comfortable beds. A hearty three-course dinner is prepared by your guides, with fine Tasmanian wine and cheerful conversation, a very pleasant way to relax after an active day.

Activities:

Itinerary

After breakfast you will be picked up from Chalmers Church (5a Frederick Street) in Launceston at 6:30am, or from the Quamby Homestead at 6:30am where you will then be transferred to Tasmanian Walking Company’s walkers base at The Red Feather Inn for your gear check and introductions. After your gear check & introductions, we journey to Waldheim in Cradle Valley. We will have morning tea, then set off on the track by 11am. By lunchtime we have walked through our first section of ancient temperate rainforest, have witnessed the dramatic glacially-carved Crater Lake and the steepest section of the whole Overland Track is behind us. The steep section is mostly stepped and takes us about an hour. It gets us onto Marion’s Lookout which (hopefully) offers famous and spectacular views of Cradle Mountain with Lake Dove at its base – worth every step. If the weather is fine, we stop for lunch by the peaceful Plateau Creek before continuing for about another 4 hours around the base of Cradle Mountain, out along the edge of a spectacular glacial cirque, then dropping into Waterfall Valley which we cross before arriving at our hut at the base of the towering Barn Bluff. Several hours of this day’s walk is over exposed alpine plateau which allows great views on a clear day, but in rough weather the wind howls over the land making for exciting, and sometimes challenging, walking conditions.

Meals:  L,D

The walking today is undulating with a few sections of exposed moorland. There are no large hills and the once notoriously muddy Pine Forest Moor is now a duckboard path over the mud! We do offer an optional side trip to Lake Will. We travel across plains where glaciers once sat and slowly moved, scouring out shallow tarns. Now we see plains of button grass with ancient Pencil Pines sitting with their roots in the water. Rising from the moors, the peaks of Cradle Mountain and Barn Bluff are behind us to the North, and the stately Mount Pelion West directly ahead.

Meals:  B,L,D

Today we begin with a long, slow descent around the base of Mt. Pelion West down to the Forth River before it plunges into the Lemonthyme Valley. After a break at Frog Flats by the Forth River, we have a long, gentle ascent out of the valley onto the beautiful Pelion Plains with outstanding views of Mount Oakleigh. There are many side trips in the Pelion Plains area with mountains all around, some excellent swimming holes, abandoned copper mines, or simply peaceful and humbling spots to rest quietly.

Meals:  B,L,D

Begin today with a climb to Pelion Gap where there are great views both back from the North and forward to the South. Today we allow extra time for the side trips from Pelion Gap. It’s a further few hours of gentle downhill from the gap to the hut, so a moderate day with the option to make it more challenging.

Meals:  B,L,D

This is a day of waterfalls and majestic forests. We depart Kia Ora hut and walk about an hour to Du Cane where a hut remains from the long-gone days of animal trapping. A fine spot to rest in the native gardens planted by trapper Paddy Hartnet’s wife during her long stints in the bush with her husband. From there, we wander through some of the oldest forest in the National Park with King Billy Pines as old as 2000 years. Here we are above the Mersey River, which descends steeply Northward towards Bass Strait. There are three major sets of waterfalls and we opt to visit one or more of these. We will probably take lunch down to enjoy beside one of the falls. During the afternoon, the group makes its way over Du Cane gap then descends beside the spectacular Falling Mountain to Windy Ridge Hut.

Meals:  B,L,D

Lake St Clair is Australia’s deepest natural lake, and as with most of this area, has been shaped by glaciers. The walk is mainly through cool temperate eucalypt forest, and birdsong is all around. We arrive at Narcissus at the Northern end of Lake St Clair in time for lunch before boarding the Idaclair cruise boat for the spectacular 17km cruise back to Cynthia Bay. There is a visitor centre at Cynthia Bay, and we usually have about half an hour to look around. The return trip to Red Feather Inn is through the trout fishing mecca of the highland lakes, descending the rugged Western Tiers to the broad plains of the Northern Midlands, and passing through the rural townships of Cressy and Longford. You should arrive at Red Feather Inn by around 5pm. There will be a shuttle bus departing at 6.00pm which goes via Launceston airport at approximately 6.15pm, arriving back at Chalmers Church Launceston at about 6.30pm. If you are staying at Quamby Homestead, a shuttle will be organised.

Meals:  B,L


Map

Elevation

The map and elevation chart are for illustrative purposes only and meant to provide general guidelines.


Inclusions

  • 5 breakfast, 6 lunches and 5 dinners
  • Professional guides
  • 5 nights twin share accommodation in private huts
  • Limited selection of Tasmanian wine
  • Transport by private minibus
  • National Park and Overland Track passes
  • Boat transfer across Lake St Clair
  • Use of a backpack and Gore-tex jacket for the duration of the walk
  • Sleeping bags, pillows and a comfortable mattress at each hut
  • Sleeping sheet and pillowcase to carry with you

  • Travel to and from Launceston
  • Travel Insurance
  • Items of a personal nature - car parking etc
  • Snacks

Accommodation


Suitability

Introductory to Moderate

4

This adventure involves trekking for up to 6 or 7 hours a day, walking an average of 10km for 6 consecutive days, carrying a medium sized pack. You will need a good level of fitness and must be in good health. Be prepared for potential variable weather conditions.


Departure dates

Departs daily from 1 October to 1 May

Notes

HS
Holiday Season
H
High Season
DN1
A high season supplement applies for departures from 1 November to 30 April. A public holiday supplement applies on trips that overlap with a public holiday. This applies in addition to the high season supplement.
DN2
In addition to the World Expeditions deposit, you will also be required to pay an additional deposit of AUD$500 (paid in your local currency at the current rate of exchange). The balance of the tour price is payable 90 days prior to departure.
DN3
From 1 July 2024 the trip will include a night of accommodation at Red Feather Inn in Launceston making the trip a 7 day tour. See trip notes for details.

Priceper person from

$4195AUD

Options & Supplements*
  • Single Supplement - standard season departureAUD$3150
  • Single Supplement - high season departureAUD$3300
*Prices listed are per person

Essential Information

Ready to book? Make sure you download and read the detailed Cradle Huts Overland Track trip notes which contains all the essential information you need to know before booking. Once you’ve booked, we will supply you with a Pre-Departure document which contains a detailed gear list and other important information to help you prepare for your adventure ahead.


Frequently Asked Questions

We provide One planet 50L canvas packs. They contain good frames and multiple adjustable straps to ensure that the weight will be on the hips with only minimal weight on the shoulders and back.

Biodegradable liquid soap is provided, which is also suitable as shampoo, at each hut. We strongly recommend using the soap provided for bathing, as it is phosphorous-free and suited to our greywater systems.

Phone reception will be intermittent and limited during the walk and at the huts – the best carrier is Telstra in the area. It is more likely only text messages will go through rather than phone calls, if at all.

All facilities are in the one building at each of the nights accommodation with the exception of one night, where the bathroom block is about a dozen metres from the hut.

Our trips depart daily from the 1st October through to the 1st May each year.

We have gas heating in the common areas but no heating in the bedrooms. The bedrooms are located above the common area and a certain amount of heat will rise into the bedrooms, and we also provide extra blankets, but if you feel the cold at night you might like to take an extra jumper and pair of socks.

Yes, so you do not need to bring a Steripen.

Each trip requires a minimum of six and a maximum of twelve guests on each departure. All accommodation is twin sharing and if the group is full, sharing is with another guest who may be male or female.

Before the trip the guides will carry out a thorough gear check to make sure you don't carry any more than you need to and also to ensure you have suitable gear. Ultimately your pack and contents can weigh as little as 7.5kg or around 8.5kg.

Each person must carry their lunch, wet weather gear, spare clothes for the hut, thermals, and warm clothing, plus any extras such as a camera. We will provide a gear list at time of booking.

You can either choose to leave your luggage at your Launceston accommodation if they have a secure facility that you can utilise or you can leave it at the Red Feather Inn where you will be transferred to and from Launceston for a trip briefing before heading off to start the trek. Your excess luggage will then be returned to you on the last day.

You will need lace up boots with good ankle support and a treaded sole. Boots must be worn in to minimise the risk of blisters. Walking shoes, elasticised footwear, sandshoes, runners, trainers or similar are not acceptable.

It is a condition of booking a tour with us, and your responsibility to ensure that you are adequately insured for the full duration of the tour in respect of illness, injury, pre-existing medical conditions, death, loss of baggage and personal items and cancellation and curtailment. You must provide evidence to TEX that you have obtained personal travel insurance. You must ensure that your personal travel insurance covers all of the activities you expect to participate in.

Two guides accompany each trip. This allows plenty of opportunities for photos and rests and walking at your own pace.

The guides carry fresh meat & vegies and cook up scrumptious three course meals each night. We are quite happy to cater for special dietary requirements.....we just need to know in advance. Fresh fruit is not provided. Some snacks such as biscuits and/or chocolate will usually be provided during morning/afternoon tea time. You may also wish to bring your own muesli bars.

After breakfasting at your accommodation we ask you to be at the Red Feather Inn, our walker’s base, by 6:45am at the latest for the group briefing to commence by 7am. If you are staying in Launceston there will be a shuttle bus departing Chalmers Church at 6:30am sharp, or from the Quamby Estate at 6:30am sharp. You will need to notify us in advance of which location you will meet at on Day 1. This allows enough time for a gear check and introductions before departing for the Cradle Mt - Lake St Clair National Park. On the return journey you will arrive back at our walker's base at approximately 5.00pm. There will be a shuttle bus departing at 6.00pm which goes via the airport at approximately 6.15pm, arriving back at Chalmers Church Launceston at about 6.30pm. If you are staying at Quamby Estate, a separate shuttle will be organised to arrive by 6:45pm.

Looking for a night of luxury either before or after your walk? Why not stay at Red Feather Inn in Hadspen which is located on the same property as our walking base. If Launceston is your preference we recommend The Sebel Launceston or contact your consultant for other recommendations. Bookings can be made directly with The Sebel Launceston by emailing [email protected] or phoning 1800 990 9705. If you wish to make use of the courtesy shuttle you will need to make your way to one of the designated meeting points mentioned above and in your final documents.

The weather is one of the attractions in the World Heritage Area. As in all mountain regions, conditions change rapidly and snow is possible even in summer. If you follow our gear list you will be comfortable, prepared for variations in weather and able to enjoy the many moods of this wild region.

Included in the trip cost is: transfers from and to Launceston, all twin sharing accommodation during the walk, breakfast lunch and dinner, the use of a backpack, sleeping bag and Gore-tex jacket for the duration of the walk, National Park passes, and two experienced guides.


Trip reviews


Positive Impact Travel

By joining this trip you are directly supporting positive impact projects in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

We’ve offset the carbon emitted by this trip by purchasing credits that support important projects that address the UN’s seventeen SDGs, like reducing poverty, affordable and clean energy, reducing hunger, clean water and climate action.

Proceeds from this adventure purchase carbon credits through the world’s largest and most awarded carbon project developer, South Pole, which are invested into projects accelerating the transition to renewable energy sources in developing countries.

Supported projects are based on internationally recognised standards and are third-party audited. They entail a series of positive impacts on the ground, which benefit local communities and ecosystems, that are aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.