Tag Archives: Cradle Mountain

Derwent Bridge

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Located 174 kms west of Hobart on the Lyell Highway, the town of Derwent Bridge extends about a kilometre from one end to the other and contains a scattering of private houses and a handful of small businesses. This tiny township takes its name from the bridge in its midst which crosses the Derwent River.  Lake St Clair sits to the north and Lake King William to the south.

I love writing Trip Advisor reviews (as Crocodillus) and after returning to Hobart from Derwent Bridge I wrote four: my accommodation at the Derwent Bridge Cabins, the food experience I enjoyed at Hungry Wombat Café , the Derwent Bridge Hotel, and the Wall in the Wilderness .  A description of these is not particularly relevant to this blog so, if you are interested, I have provided the links to my reviews with a few photographs.  I am happy to answer any email enquiries if you are considering visiting Derwent Bridge.

I stayed in Derwent Bridge for two nights (buses to Hobart do not travel every day) and every chat, communication, look that I experienced with another person was full of positive energy, good will, happiness, and this made the time pass so easily.  It did not matter whether I was connecting with the Cabin owner or her cleaner, the bar and meal staff at the Hotel, the wait staff at the café, or the owner and others at the Wall in the Wilderness, everyone was upbeat and the services the businesses provided were excellent.

In addition, I met many interstate and overseas travellers, almost all of them walkers who had been journeying either on the Overland Track from Cradle Mountain to Lake St Clair, or had been walking some of the day or longer walks in the vicinity of Lake St Clair.  The effect of continuing kind weather on walkers, the fact that their walks had introduced them to environments which they found profoundly beautiful, and their plans for future walks and discoveries were the catalyst for everyone to buzz with vitality. Infectious.

Tassie Link back to Hobart

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When the Tassie Link bus rolled to a halt at Gretna, I was surprised it was only a small one designed to carry approximately 20 people. I later learnt that if there are minimal bookings the small bus is used but with more bookings a standard larger bus is put into service.  This is the main bus line that links the historic west coast to Hobart via Lake St Clair.  Previously, I had been surprised that the service only runs four days a week, making the development of travel plans more challenging for tourists and locals alike.  Obviously most people drive.

As the driver got out to collect my fare, the side door was swung open by a happy guy and everyone on the bus called out a friendly “Hi” followed by the command, “Give us y’ pack”.  My pack joined a high pile at the back of the bus and once I sat, the happy chat began and lasted through to Hobart.  Everyone was on holiday from different part of mainland Australia and they had all just finished walking the Overland Track from the famed Cradle Mountain to Lake St Clair. Similarly to me they had been at the Derwent Bridge pub for a few hours waiting for the bus to arrive. So we were all very merry regaling each other with the stories of our walks.  It was the perfect ending to a brilliant two days of discovery.

When I walked in through my front door at 11pm, a warm glow spread across my face.  I was home!

Australian stamping grounds

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Blog reader, Ju, surprised me with an unexpected gift; a freshly minted set of postal stamps.  Recently Australia Post released the set noting 4 Great Australian Walks: The National Pass in New South Wales, the Cape to Cape Track in Western Australia, the Larapinta Trail in the Northern Territory, and the Overland Track in Tasmania.

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On each of the four gloriously coloured stamps, a photograph of an iconic landscape represents each Walk. On the edge of each stamp, a white featureless body with a pack-on-the-back shape represents one or more people walking. Mentally you can pop yourself into the body and become that walker.

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The image for Tasmania’s Overland Track is Cradle Mountain. This marks the commencement in northern Tasmania for the 60km walk which winds southwards and ends at Lake St Clair (regular blog readers know the southern end of that Lake is where the Derwent River commences its life).  I walked the Overland Track in 2006 and strongly recommend it to others; leisurely – over 6 days with walks off the main path and plenty of time to soak in the atmosphere.  I remember that when I saw some of the mountains on the west coast of Tasmania way in the distance, I realised Tasmania was not so large. I thought it would be possible to walk across this state from the east to the west but I have not pursued that idea. Yet.

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Looking across to Cradle Mountain and beyond, and at its reflection in the pristine Dove Lake at its feet, I can see a light powdering of snow.  Currently, snow is very topical.

Over the past few days, Hobart and the rest of Tasmania have received loads of snow the likes of which hasn’t been seen here for 30 years.  News and social media are brimming with sensational photos many showing the thrill of this unusual flurry: for example, http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-08-03/snow-across-tasmania-forces-many-key-road-closures/6666838 and http://www.news.com.au/national/tasmania/cold-brings-warnings-and-snow-wonder/story-fnn32rbc-1227467164313.

Most appropriate for this blog about Walking the Derwent, is the photo I found of The Hungry Wombat Café at Derwent Bridge (the township at the southern end of Lake St Clair to which I will walk sooner or later). When you look at the photo below (taken from the website above), you will understand why I am not walking inland at the moment.

Snow at The Hungry Wombat Cafe Derwent Bridge 030815