Hiking and relaxing at Cradle Mountain

Last weekend, Dave and I spent a relaxing weekend at Cradle Mountain, which is about a 2 hour drive from our home in Launceston. Many months ago, we planned to spend a weekend away there to celebrate my birthday and the end of a long period of studying for Dave, so when the weekend finally rolled around, we were definitely ready for it.



We set off to Cradle Mountain on Saturday, stopping along the way at Cradle Forest Inn for some lunch. This cozy inn is a beautiful spot for a casual lunch. We shared a barbeque pork pizza and a truffle and blue cheese pizza while sitting in front of a fire, looking out into the wilderness.

 

We arrived at Peppers Cradle Mountain Lodge at around 2 pm, however the weather had taken a turn for the worse, so we decided to relax in front of a DVD with some complimentary sparking wine for the afternoon.



That evening, as the main restaurant at the lodge was booked out, we thought we would get some food at the tavern, also located at the lodge. Sitting in front of an open fire with a gin & tonic, a beef burger, an apple crumble and the newspaper's weekly quiz was the perfect Saturday night, particularly as the rain was pouring down outside.




We woke up fairly early on Sunday morning to fit in a hike before the rain that was forecast for the afternoon set in. Filling up on a substantial buffet breakfast, we then drove to the national park to set out for the Crater Lake Circuit. Unfortunately we didn't quite manage to complete the circuit, given how much snow there was on top of the mountain (not to mention how strong the winds were), so we made it a little further than Marion's Lookout before turning around. We were rather glad that we ended the 3.5 hour hike when we did, as the rain came pelting down as we reached the car.



 


After enjoying a light lunch of pumpkin soup at the tavern, we had a relaxing afternoon before heading to the Highlands Restaurant for dinner. We shared the kingfish sashimi as a starter, then I had the beef short rib with truffled potato and garlic, followed by the dark chocolate mousse and a pinot noir dessert wine.





After packing up on Monday morning and getting our last fix of a buffet breakfast, we headed back to the national park for one final hike before returning home. We hiked the Dove Lake Circuit, which is a fairly easy walk and can be completed in under 2 hours.

We then commenced our drive back home, again stopping at the Cradle Forest Inn for lunch.

I love the fact that in Tasmania, you are only ever a two hour drive away (at most) from some of the most incredible scenery in the world. I am definitely keen to venture back to Cradle Mountain at some point...though, most likely in the spring or summer when we are not knee-deep in snow.