Hikers taking in the breathtaking views of Cradle Mountain and Lake St Clair | Peter Walton

Trekkers walking along the boardwalk on the Overland Track | Great Walks of Australia

Enjoy a glass of wine after a day's trek along the Overland Track | Great Walks of Australia

Cradle Huts Kia Ora lodge

Mealtime on Cradle Mountain Huts walk | Tim Hughes

Cradle Huts Overland and Peaks Adventure Walk

Trekking the World Famous Overland Track in comfort.

Australia

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6 reviews

7 Days from

$4690 USD

Trip Code: CPO

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Essential Information

Extra trip options & supplements

*Prices listed are per person

Duration

7 Days

Activities

6 days walking with medium sized backpack

Accommodation

5 nights private hut accommodation, 1 night historic inn accommodation

Meals

6 Dinners
6 Lunches
6 Breakfasts

Difficulty Grading

7 / 10

Challenging

Trip highlights

Cradle Mountain Huts Overland Track is a trip of the Great Walks of Tasmania
Summit the peaks of the Overland Track including Cradle Mountain, Mount Ossa and Mount Oakleigh
Discover the rare beauty and extraordinary diversity of Tasmania’s world heritage-listed Cradle Mountain - Lake St. Clair National Park
Enjoy a steaming hot shower and fresh-baked afternoon tea, then enjoy the simple pleasures of life in a bush hut
Views into the heart of the World Heritage Area

Overview

Experience the Overland Track with a side of adventure. This seven day hut-based walk is a fabulous way for adventurous people to experience the iconic Overland Track while summiting some serious peaks along the way.

The walk itself starts in heart-pumping style with a summit climb of Cradle Mountain. Across six days in deep World Heritage Area wilderness, we tackle other peaks on our way south. Day 4 is the biggest at 18km including Mount Oakleigh and we back this up the following day climbing Tassie’s highest peak, Mount Ossa.

Each evening's accommodation on The Overland Track is in one of five ecologically sustainable private huts nestled away in this remarkable park. Just off the track, each hut is a haven to retreat to at the end of the day and features hot showers, a potbelly heater and twin-share rooms with comfortable beds. A hearty three-course dinner is prepared by your guides, with fine Tasmanian wine and cheerful conversation, a very pleasant way to relax after an active day.

Itinerary

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Arrive in Launceston and make your own way to the Red Feather Inn for check-in from 2pm, your accommodation for the night. Please arrive no later than 5:00pm. There will be a briefing with your guide at 5:30pm, for introductions and a gear check, followed by a group dinner served with seasonal and local produce, cooked by the in-house chef.

Meals: D

After an early breakfast, we drive to Waldheim in Cradle Valley. On the summit of Cradle Mountain in 1910, Austrian-born Gustav Weindorfer proclaimed, “This must be a national park for the people for all time”. It’s fitting our walk begins at Waldheim, where Weindorfer’s story is told. We will have morning tea here then set off on the track by 11am, venturing through ancient temperate rainforest, passing the dramatic glacially-carved Crater Lake. We climb the steepest section of the whole Overland Track today. Reaching Marion’s Lookout (1,250m) after negotiating steps leading through steeper sections, offers a satisfying reward. Providing weather conditions allow, we enjoy staggering views of Cradle Mountain and Dove Lake. Every uphill step is worth it. If the weather is fine, we stop for lunch by the peaceful Plateau Creek. We then embark on the challenging climb of Cradle Mountain where, on clear days, the views are spectacular. It's then about another 4 hours around the base of Cradle Mountain, out along the edge of a spectacular glacial cirque, then dropping into Waterfall Valley which we cross before arriving at our hut at the base of the towering Barn Bluff (1,559m), having completed the steepest part of your journey (excluding side trips). Several hours of this day’s walk is over exposed alpine plateau which allows great views on a clear day, but in rough weather the wind howls over the land making for exciting, and sometimes challenging, walking conditions.

Meals: B,L,D

Today we’ll be walking across plains where glaciers once rested, slowly moving and scouring out shallow tarns. The track provides an undulating trek with a few sections of exposed moorland and multiple hill climbs and descents. We take our time venturing across vast button grass plains where ancient pencil pines fringe alpine tarns. Rising from the moors, the peaks of Cradle Mountain and Barn Bluff are behind us. Look ahead, and the stately Mt Pelion West comes into view. Those looking for an additional challenge today can take a side trip to Lake Will. Hugged by pencil pines and with its narrow quartzite sand rim, Lake Will is striking. Keep an eye out for gravel mounds along the way, remnants of Joseph Will’s coal mining efforts in the 1890s. Further along the track, Lake Windemere offers an opportunity for an invigorating swim. This evening, at Pine Forest Moor Hut, enjoy dining with views out towards Mt. Oakleigh.

Meals: B,L,D

This morning we venture through gorgeous myrtle-beech rainforest as we descend around the base of Mt Pelion West, down to the Forth River before it plunges into Lemonthyme Valley. We’ll take a break at Frog Flats beside the Forth River, which happens to be the Overland Track’s lowest point. From here, it’s a gentle ascent back out of the valley. We leave thick Eucalypt forest behind as the trees part to reveal Pelion Plains. Uninterrupted views of Mt Oakleigh’s dolerite spires now come into play. The Pelion Plains area offers a host of side trips, hugged by mountainous terrain. Our quest? To climb Mt Oakleigh. It’s our biggest day at 18 kilometres, so we pace ourselves knowing the warmth and comfort of Pelion Plains Hut awaits, nestled amongst dry sclerophyll forest.

Meals: B,L,D

Today begins with a climb of almost 300m to Pelion Gap through beautiful rainforest. Pelion Gap is a plateau stretching between Mt Pelion East and Mt Ossa, affording fantastic views to the south as well as back to the north. There are plenty of side trips from Pelion Gap including our mission for the day, to summit Mt Ossa. At 1617m, it is Tasmania’s highest peak. Reaching the top, there’s plenty of time to take in 360 degree island views and enjoy a well-earned lunch. Back down at Pelion Gap it's a further few hours of gentle downhill to the hut. Once we arrive at Kia Ora Hut, enjoy a Tasmanian drop with spectacular views out to Cathedral Mountain. Conditions dictate our climb, as Mt Ossa’s boulder fields can be dangerous in heavy rain and snow. Your highly-trained guides can assess whether alternate peaks are more suitable.

Meals: B,L,D

This is a day of icy-flowing waterfalls and majestic forests. We depart Kia Ora hut and walk about an hour to Du Cane, where a 1910-built hut remains from the long-gone days of animal trapping. Du Cane Hut is a fine spot to rest, surrounded by native gardens and overlooked by the spectacular Du Cane Range. From here, we wander through some of the oldest forest in the National Park, with King Billy pines as much as 2,000 years old. Now, we are above the Mersey River, which descends deeply northward towards Bass Strait, spilling down cliff faces. There are three major sets of waterfalls in the area. We aim to visit one or more of these, choosing the best to have lunch beside depending on conditions. During the afternoon, we make our way over Du Cane Gap, then descend beside the spectacular Falling Mountain to Windy Ridge Hut. Tonight is a celebratory one, our last evening on the track.

Meals: B,L,D

Lake St Clair is Australia’s deepest natural lake, and as with most of this area, has been shaped by glaciers. The walk is mainly through cool temperate eucalypt forest, and birdsong is all around. We arrive at Narcissus at the Northern end of Lake St Clair in time for lunch before boarding the Idaclair cruise boat for the spectacular 17km cruise back to Cynthia Bay. There is a visitor centre at Cynthia Bay, and we usually have about an hour to look around. The return trip to Red Feather Inn is through the trout fishing mecca of the highland lakes, descending the rugged Western Tiers to the broad plains of the Northern Midlands, and passing through the rural townships of Cressy and Longford. You should arrive at Red Feather Inn by around 5pm. There will be a shuttle bus departing at 6m which goes via Launceston airport at approximately 6:15pm, arriving back at Chalmers Church Launceston at about 6:30pm. If you are staying at Quamby Homestead, a shuttle will be organised.

Meals: B,L

Ready to start your adventure?

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What's included?

Included

6 breakfast, 6 lunches and 6 dinners
Professional guides
5 nights twin share accommodation in private huts, 1 night twin share accommodation in a historic inn in Launceston
Non-alcoholic beverages and a limited selection of Tasmanian wine
Transport by private minibus
National Park and Overland Track passes
Boat transfer across Lake St Clair
Use of a backpack and Gore-tex jacket for the duration of the walk
Sleeping bags, pillows and a comfortable mattress at each hut
Sleeping sheet and pillowcase to carry with you

Not included

Travel to and from Launceston
Travel Insurance
Items of a personal nature - car parking etc
Snacks
Accommodation before and after the trip

Reviews (6)

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Extra trip info

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We provide a high quality 50L backpack. They contain good frames and multiple adjustable straps to ensure that the weight will be on the hips with only minimal weight on the shoulders and back.

Day 1 of the trip includes a night at the Red Feather Inn in Launceston. If you would like any additional nights in Launceston, please ask your reservations consultant for suggestions. It is not possible to stay extra nights at the Red Feather Inn as this accommodation is used only for group tour nights.

We ask that you arrive at the The Red Feather Inn no later than 5:00pm, to meet your guides and group at 5:30pm.

No, as it is a commercial pass for the duration of the walk only, it does not cover you for your individual travel to national parks in Tasmania before or after the tour so you will need to purchase a separate national park pass outside of the tour. We suggest a "Holiday Pass" which covers all national parks in Tasmania for up to 8 people per vehicle for up to 2 months. This can be purchased in advance through Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife online.

Biodegradable liquid soap is provided, which is also suitable as shampoo, at each hut. We strongly recommend using the soap provided for bathing, as it is phosphorous-free and suited to our greywater systems.

Phone reception will be intermittent and limited during the walk and at the huts – the best carrier in the area is Telstra. It is more likely only text messages will go through rather than phone calls, if at all.

All facilities are in the one building at each of the nights accommodation with the exception of one night, where the bathroom block is about a dozen metres from the hut.

Our trips depart on select dates between November and March each year.

We have gas heating in the common areas but no heating in the bedrooms. The bedrooms are located above the common area and a certain amount of heat will rise into the bedrooms, and we also provide extra blankets, but if you feel the cold at night you might like to take an extra jumper and pair of socks.

Yes, so you do not need to bring a Steripen.

Each trip requires a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 12 participants on each departure. All accommodation is twin sharing and if the group is full, you will be sharing with another participant of the same gender.

On the evening of Day 1, the guides will carry out a thorough gear check to make sure you don't carry any more than you need to and also to ensure you have suitable gear. Ultimately your pack and contents can weigh as little as 7.5kg though more likely between 8.5-9.5kg.

Each person must carry their lunch, wet weather gear, spare clothes for the hut, thermals, and warm clothing, plus any extras such as a camera. We will provide a gear list at time of booking.

You can leave it at the Red Feather Inn where you will stay on day 1 before heading off to start the trek. Your excess luggage will then be returned to you on the last day.

To join this departure, it is strongly advised that you wear lace-up boots that provide good ankle support and have a treaded sole suitable for rugged terrain.

Boots must be worn in prior to departure to minimize the risk of blisters.

Please note that elasticized footwear, runners, trainers, or similar styles are not acceptable. If you opt to bring walking shoes or trail runners, it is suggested that you have two pairs so that you can change into a dry pair in the event of wet weather. Please note that the final decision will be made by your guide at the briefing if they assess that there is an increased risk of injury due to extreme weather/other conditions.

It is a condition of booking a tour with us, and your responsibility to ensure that you are adequately insured for the full duration of the tour in respect of illness, injury, pre-existing medical conditions, death, loss of baggage and personal items and cancellation and curtailment. You must provide evidence to TEX that you have obtained personal travel insurance. You must ensure that your personal travel insurance covers all of the activities you expect to participate in.

Two guides accompany each trip. This allows plenty of opportunities for photos and rests and walking at your own pace.

The guides carry fresh meat & vegies and cook up scrumptious three course meals each night. We are happy to cater for special dietary requirements - please advise us at time of booking or notify your reservations consultant in advance. Fresh fruit is not provided. Some snacks such as biscuits and/or chocolate will usually be provided during morning/afternoon tea time. You may also wish to bring your own muesli bars. An example of the dinner menu served at Kia Ora Hut on Day 5: grazing plate on arrival at the hut, main course of forest mushroom and pea risotto with parmesan, dessert of Crème Brûlée.

The weather is one of the attractions in this World Heritage Area. As in all mountain regions, conditions change rapidly and snow is possible even in summer. If you follow our gear list you will be comfortable, prepared for variations in weather and able to enjoy the many moods of this wild region.

Included in the trip cost is: transfers from and to The Red Feather Inn, all twin sharing accommodation during the walk, meals, the use of a backpack, sleeping bag and Gore-tex jacket for the duration of the walk, National Park passes, and three experienced guides.