Today was dedicated to a harder day trek in the area. Starting from Ronny Creek carpark, we signed the day-trip book before taking a snap of the sign that indicated the start of the Overland Track.
The Overland Track is a 6 day hike, taking you on a 65-kilometre trek from Cradle Mountain to Lake St Clair through Tasmania’s famous world heritage-listed wilderness. This trek is one of the most popular in Australia and usually involves planning & booking in advance in peak travel times but we weren’t participating in the Overland Track today. Our goal for today was to make it to Marions lookout. A day prior we explored the Dove Lake circuit, looking up at the towering peaks around us when we noticed people standing high above. They were the size of ants and it’s the exact point we wanted to find ourselves today.
There are a few different ways you can reach Marions Lookout, that we decided we wanted to cover them all. We started out along the snake-shaped boardwalk, passing wombats foraging in the grasslands and the view of snow-capped mountains in the landscapes background.
Soon enough the path presented a steep incline as we climbed the stairs that led us past flowing Crater Falls.
We heard the first part of the Overland Track, from Ronnys Creek carpark to Kitchen hut is the hardest and although it was hard work, I was still envious of those trekking the whole Overland track, heavy backpacks in tow. With a few short rests along the way, we reached the towering view of Crater Peak with Crater Lake & a boat shed underneath it.
Continuing along the track we soon came into a lookout that was yet to be built. Turning right we continued to the trickiest part of our walk.
Here, the path turns into a large stone-step climb that gets so steep a chain rail has been installed to help pull yourself up. We stopped at the top to enjoy the amazing view whilst having lunch before noticing the sunny morning we enjoyed was turning scary as dark rain clouds rolled in.
We finished the climb to Marions lookout before taking shelter underneath a rock ledge at the top. We opted not to go any further as the weather was getting worse.
We ventured back down the climb, heading for the Wombat Pool Track. We passed wombat pool (although none in sight) before reaching Lake Lilla. The Lake Lilla Track is a nice relaxing paced path back to Ronny Creek carpark where we were happy to be jumping back on the parks shuttle bus out of the rain.
There are many short walks that start around Cradle Mountain Lodge (Peppers) or near the Interpretation Centre / Ranger Station. We didn’t participate in any of these walks but below is a list & map outlining. Be sure to check out my other blogs on Cradle Mountain including the Dove Lake Circuit – happy planning!
How we got here? Jetstar Airways flew us from Sydney to Launceston for roughly AU $70 pp one way. From Launceston airport, we hired a car through Drive Now; a hire car comparison website. The road trip was around two hours and the hire car cost around AU $200 for 4 days.
ONLY HAPPY WHEN I TRAVEL 