Cradle Mountain Short Escape

Launceston to Cradle Mountain National Park via Mole Creek Caves

Your adventure begins when we pick you up from your accommodation in historic launceston at 8am. Leaving the beautiful city behind, we head west through lush farming country to the picturesque township of Deloraine, stopping for a coffee and a complete trip-briefing (please see notes above for full briefing details). We then transfer to Alum Cliffs for a short, gentle walk near the base of the magnificent Great Western Tiers, the mountain range which presides over the central north of Tasmania. In the afternoon we visit the incredible caves of the Mole Creek Karst National Park. Your guides will provide a delicious picnic lunch in the National Park, a great chance for you to kick back and take in the scenery and fresh air. From here we drive up into the high country to Cradle Mountain National Park. If time permits we will have the opportunity to take in some of the shorter walks in the stunning World Heritage Area before retiring to our accommodation for the evening at Waldheim Cabins, nestled on the rainforests edge and surrounded by wombats and wallabies. Walking time: up to 4 hours | Driving time: 2.5 hours

Exploring Cradle Mountain National Park

Today we are spoilt for choice with a plethora of awe-inspiring walks that leave from the very doorstep of our accommodation. If weather permits the main objective for the day is to summit Tasmania’s most well known and loved landmark – Cradle Mountain. This iconic day walk takes you to the top of the island's fifth highest peak, providing magnificent views of glaciated landscape and the mass of surrounding mountains. The last section of climb to the peak is rock-scrambling over dolerite boulders, using hands and feet. Kids love this section of hands-on climbing and always manage to do it with more grace than the adults! The whole family will be flooded with a feeling of elation upon reaching the summit of Cradle Mountain and looking out on one of the best views in Tasmania. Alternatively we can explore the ancient rainforests of Dove Lake, Marion’s Lookout, and Hanson’s Peak, amongst many others. After our day of exploring we make our way back to the Waldheim Cabins to enjoy a well earned dinner prepared by our wonderful guides. Walking time: up to 7 hours | Driving time: 50 minutes

Cradle Mountain National Park to Launceston

Today we enjoy another sumptuous breakfast before heading out into the National Park once more. Our previous day's achievements will dictate how we spend this last morning. With so many trails to walk in the area we are spoilt for choice! Opt for a relaxing walk to see a giant King Billy pine and spectacular cool temperate rainforest or head out for another challenging walk to the summit of Hanson's Peak - your guides will tailor this morning's activities to suit the groups needs and you will leave Cradle Mountain National Park feeling as though you have really accomplished and experienced as much as possible! After our final lunch together we make our way back to Launceston Walking time: up to 6 hours | Driving time: 2 hours

The iconic Cradle Mountain National Park is yours to share with your family on this short and exciting walking holiday. Carrying just a day pack, we explore the base of the Great Western Tiers on foot before a visit to the fascinating limestone caves of the Mole Creek Karst National Park. It's then on to the Cradle Mountain National Park high country where you'll have a number of impressive walks to choose from over the next 2 days, you can even tackle the summit of Cradle Mountain (weather permitting). Sharing the views from Cradle Mountain's peak with your children will inspire them to want to explore even more; the 360-degree panoramic outlook onto Tasmania's highest mountains and surrounding wilderness area is simply unbeatable. With healthy meals, comfortable accommodation, 24 hour emergency backup, and professional guides provided, you will be able to focus on enjoying quality family time. This is a fantastic introduction to active travel for the whole family.