Devonport, Cradle Mountain And The Great Western Tiers Guides Attractions Events in Tasmania

Cradle Mountain’s jagged peaks are one of the most recognisable images of Tasmania’s wilderness. Cradle Mountain is at the northern end of the 161,000-hectare (397,840-acre) Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair national park, part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. The Park is 2.5 hours’ west of Launceston (144 kilometres/90 miles) and 90 minutes from Devonport (83 kilometres/52 miles).

The sheer magnificence of Cradle Mountain inspired Austrian-born Gustav Weindorfer to build a chalet of King Billy pine here in 1912 and work tirelessly to have the area declared a national park "for the people for all time". His dream was realised in 1922, and today a quarter of all visitors to the state travel here to share his vision.

You can take one of many short walks in the area to gain a full appreciation of Cradle’s magic. Stroll from cascading rivers to dense, old-growth rainforest in just 20 minutes on the Enchanted Walk, walk the two-hour circuit of Dove Lake, or spend the day tackling Cradle Mountain’s summit. Cradle Mountain is the starting point of the 65-kilometre (40-mile) Overland Track—a six-day walk finishing at the northern end of Lake St Clair. Guided walks are available, some staying in catered huts along the way.

Cradle Mountain is surrounded by smooth glacial lakes, ancient rainforest, and distinctive alpine vegetation. Australia's only deciduous tree abounds here. Fagus, also known as deciduous beech (Nothofagus gunnii), is endemic to Tasmania and has a magnificent autumn display, ranging through gold to deep red from late April to May.

The history of the Weindorfers' devotion to Cradle Mountain and their successful efforts to ensure its preservation as a national park is told in Weindorfer's Chalet, just off the road to Dove Lake. The natural history of the park is detailed in displays and interpretation at the Visitor Centre, which you pass as you travel towards Dove Lake. A shuttle bus to Dove Lake departs from here each day throughout the year.

Cradle Mountain’s alpine location means the weather can be extremely changeable. Pack warm clothes, raingear, a map and good walking boots for your visit.

Weave your way from the start of this trail through mountains, valleys and picturesque coastal villages until you reach one of the prettiest towns in Australia, the fishing village of Stanley. It begins with the craggy, misty mountains of the Western Tiers; then towards Devonport, lush green pastures where dairy cows produce the milk that makes Tasmania’s famed cheeses. Follow the edge of Bass Strait past pretty seaside villages, penguin rookeries, seal colonies, a platypus habitat, tulip fields, sandy coves, and tasty cheese outlets until you see The Nut - a huge volcanic plug on the horizon at Stanley.

Explore a timeless and mystical landscape that some say has been 370 million years in the making. The chain of mountains that forms the tier has more than 3000 lakes and tarns and its alpine environment is so rare that it is protected as a World Heritage Area. In this ancient landscape, limestone caves are a world away below the surface and hidden valleys shelter farming villages first settled in the early 1800s. The area is popular for its walks, waterfalls, historic homes, gardens, artists and craftspeople.

Mole Creek occupies a valley between the Gog Range and the Great Western Tiers in the central north, not far from Tasmania’s highest point, Mount Ossa.
This is an area of fascinating limestone caves that have been forming over the past 450 million years and are now protected in Tasmania’s only underground national park. There are more than 300 caves and sinkholes in all, many featuring streams and springs.
Public tours are conducted through King Solomons and Marakoopa caves, and each give you a very different experience. King Solomons is noted for its lavish colours and formations, while Marakoopa is a wet cave containing the largest display of glow worms in Australia. For equally spectacular scenery, be adventurous and join a wild cave tours. You will journey through underground streams and squeeze between rocky passages with only a headlamp to illuminate your path – be prepared to get wet.
After navigating the caves, you can join a four wheel drive tour of the Mersey valley, visit a leatherwood honey farm, or try white-water rafting on the upper Mersey. There are many pleasant short walks in the area at Liffey Falls and Arm River. You’ll be rewarded by beautiful scenery on longer bushwalks at Lake Rowallan and the Walls of Jerusalem National Park.
There’s plenty of wildlife at Mole Creek – including the world’s largest barn owl and native Australian animals at the Trowunna Wildlife Park.
Mole Creek is home to little more than 200 people, most of whom earn their living from farming and forestry. It was named after of a small stream that veered underground, like a mole. The area was originally inhabited by Aboriginal people and was explored by Europeans hunting for fur skins in the 1830s.
The average maximum temperature for January is 21.5 degrees, while in June it’s 11 degrees.
Mole Creek is 72 kilometres (45 miles) west of Launceston. Take the B54 as far as Deloraine and the B12 from there.

Penguin, on the northwest coast overlooking Bass Strait, is characterised by sleepy weekdays that turn into bustling weekends, a scenic esplanade, its friendly community and charming seaside cafés.
The town’s population of nearly 3,000 rejoices in all things ‘penguin’ – from the penguin-shaped rubbish bins to the many penguin souvenirs available at the local market.
Every Sunday the Penguin Market draws hundreds of visitors from along the coast and around the state. With more than 200 modern stalls – ranging from fine food and wine, to woodcraft and live music – Tasmania’s largest undercover market caters for the whole family.
You can’t miss the largest penguin in the world, which has made the esplanade its home. The 3.15-metre (10-foot) cement and fibreglass bird was erected in 1975 to commemorate the centenary of the town.
Hiscutt Park, with its Dutch windmill and playground, is a peaceful place for a picnic. Behind the town, Dial Range has several walking tracks to the mountain-tops with stunning views over Penguin and the north-west coast.
Penguin was explored by Bass and Flinders and settled in 1861. It was named by Robert Campbell Gunn, after the small seabirds that live in rookeries along the north coast. Penguin was a originally a small timber and mining town, overshadowed by Burnie and Devonport.
The average maximum temperature in Penguin is 21 degrees Celsius (70 degrees Fahrenheit) in January and 13.5 degrees Celsius ( 56 degrees Fahrenheit) in June.
Penguin is 17 kilometres (10.5 miles) east of Burnie, or a pleasant fifteen minute drive west of Ulverstone through the Ling Perry Gardens along the coastal road.