We woke up to a morning at Cradle Mountain that really put the "chill" in chilly. The thermometer was reporting 4 degrees, but my bones were telling a different story—it felt a good deal colder than that. I walked outside to find a thick layer of ice completely covering the top of the car, looking for all the world like someone had come through and dusted it with white flour while we were sleeping. Even one of the small lagoons nearby had a solid crust of ice sitting on top of it.

A thick layer of morning frost covering the top of the car after a freezing night.
A thick layer of morning frost covering the top of the car after a freezing night.

Despite the frost, we couldn't have asked for a more perfect day. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky, and with absolutely no breeze to speak of, the conditions were spectacular for being outdoors. We decided to tackle the 6km Dove Lake Circuit, and it was the best decision we could have made. Because the air was so still, the lake was a perfect mirror. I stood there for a good while just taking in the reflection of the jagged peaks in the water; it was so clear it was hard to tell where the mountain ended and the lake began.

The mountain peaks reflecting perfectly in the dead-still waters of Dove Lake.
The mountain peaks reflecting perfectly in the dead-still waters of Dove Lake.

The track itself is very well-maintained, mostly consisting of wooden boardwalks or reconstituted material, which makes the walking quite pleasant. We followed the edge of the water, passing a weathered old tree trunk that stretched out over the surface.

An old fallen tree reaching out over the glassy, mirrored surface of the lake.
An old fallen tree reaching out over the glassy, mirrored surface of the lake.

Overall, the circuit is fairly easy-going, though there are two sections with quite a few steps that give the legs a bit of a workout. We had our usual debate about which part is actually more difficult; I reckon the slog going up is the real killer, but Lisa is adamant that the impact of going down the steps is much tougher on the joints.

For the first half of the walk, we were tucked away in the shadow of the mountains, but once we rounded the halfway mark and the sun finally hit us, the temperature shifted instantly. It didn't take us long to start peeling off the layers of jackets and jumpers we’d bundled up in earlier. By the time we reached the far side of the lake, looking back towards the iconic old boatshed with the mountain towering behind it, it was a glorious Tassie day.

The view looking back across the water toward the boatshed and the mountain on a cloudless day.
The view looking back across the water toward the boatshed and the mountain on a cloudless day.

It’s one of those places that really stays with you—just us, the quiet of the bush, and that massive, craggy silhouette against the blue.

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