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We
began our visit with a trek around Dove Lake. It is a
high mountain lake at 934 meters. Most of the photos
of Cradle Mountain are taken across Dove Lake. |
High
Above Dove Lake is Lake Wills. The outflow from the
small lake forms a waterfall at the south end of Dove Lake. |
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Looking down on Dove Lake and the smaller Lake Lilla from
above. The light colored areas on the hills beyond
Dove Lake Mount Campbell are probably quartzite. |
The outflow from Lake Lilla forms a gushing rivulet which we
crossed on a small footbridge. |
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The climax forest in an area called The Ballroom Forest
is Myrtle Beech and King Billy Pine. This is typical of
Myrtle's growth patterns. It is an other worldly
forest and we felt like we were in a strange time and place. |
The smaller
vegetation included some small heaths which weren't in bloom
while we were there but which have stunning blossoms at the
growing tips in the late spring. |
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The Pandani is the world's tallest heath. In this
forest it grows to about fifteen feet but in some areas it
is even larger! The pink blossoms grow out from
between the leaves. |
I
couldn't resist including this gnarly tree. This is so
typical of the forests we saw as we bushwalked in Cradle
Mountain National Park. |
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As we hiked up to Crater Lake to 1035 meters, we walked
along its outflow, Crater Falls. It was quite a high moment for our
little crew. |
The wind whipped up water into the air as it dipped down
into the hole where Crater Lake was formed. It also
created swells that came into our little shelter (below)! |
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Cradle Lake from above, looking down from Marion's
Lookout. The waterfall at the left side is from
Marigold Creek. |
We ducked into the Crater Lake boat house to get out of the
wind and rain so we could eat lunch! |
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A
pademelon came to our porch at Cosy Cabins to beg for a
handout. We couldn't resist and when we opened the
door, she came right on in! Her Joey was a few feet
away in the bush. |
One of the easier creatures to view is the echidna. It
has no fear of humans and rightly so because if attacked, it
curls into a ball and leaves only its spiked skin showing.
Its front feet point forward with claws in front and its
back feet point backwards with claws to the rear. It
was rooting for insects next to the path around Dove Lake. |
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Is
Joseph not one great looking young man? It was a joy
to have him around for two weeks as we trekked around
Tasmania. |
Typical of our daughter - all smiles here with Jake looking
down on Dove Lake from Marion's Lookout. |
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Here's
most of the gang at Marion's Lookout. This is on
January 3rd - a typical summer day at Cradle Mountain!
According to the Beaufort Scale we had winds of about fifty
mile as we climbed up to the lookout!
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Here's the two old fogies enjoying the summer heat with
Cradle Mountain behind us.
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This
is waratah which is widespread around Dove Lake. |
The other splotch of red that caught our eye on the Dove
Lake circuit was Christmas Bells |
