BrisWombatJul 19, 2025
1/x Thursday the road conditions were good enough so we set off for #CradleMountain National Park via Doraine for supplies. It got a bit hairy on the roads a few k’s out from the visitors centre but with a 4x4 we were fine, arriving in the early arvo. Great drive through the forests via Sheffield.
We had booked a cabin inside the park for the night, at Waldheim. You get a swipe card for the gate and you have to follow one of the park buses for safety as much of the road in the park is one lane. We got to our cabin just after 3 and set up our bunk beds with the bedding we had booked.
Just as we settled in, it started raining, which occasionally turned to snow! Not warm enough to settle on the ground though.
We did a walk down to Ronny Creek & back, seeing wombats & pademelons!
2/ to come later. Out and about atm.
Show threadBrisWombatJul 19, 2025
Cradle 2/x
We had a few days of supplies in case the roads close due to weather, & the cabins have most food making utilities bar microwaves.
Initially iffy on the communal loos and showers but it wasn’t an issue. You layer up, go out, and remove layers once back in. The radiator heating was very good.
After the buses stop at 4:30 in winter you can drive around (but with warning from Park staff about watching out for wildlife). We drove the couple of kms to the Dove Lake observation building, where here the howling wind was bitterly cold, yet in the fading light still stunning views were had.
Note to self. Next time you buy gloves, get those fancy ones that can still manipulate a touchscreen. We stumbled upon a huge wombat munching on grass beside the carpark, ignorant to the bitter cold and rainy conditions. As the light faded more and we were cold enough (despite plenty of layers), we drove back to our cabin. On arrival, as it was now dark, 6 very lost day trippers waved us down..
Show threadBrisWombat

Cradle 3/x
One was a student from overseas living in Sydney, the other 5 were friends from overseas. She’d done Cradle before, I’m guessing in Summer. They had flown into Launceston and came straight to Cradle. They had either missed the last bus back from Dove Lake, or had hiked back to Ronny Creek intending to catch the last bus back. Either way it was now almost completely dark and they were pretty upset, offering to pay me.

The visitors centre where they had parked was 7km from the cabins and walking in the rainy darkness is Cradle National Park with temps in the low single digits - very much undesirable. If not outright dangerous.

My 4x4 rental is a 7 seater, and with the echos of the Park Staff warning about the risks of night driving in wet darkness (animals and icy conditions the big risks) there really wasn’t much choice.
I loaded them in and put the car mode for ice/mud. If you’re familiar with the road, it’s not too bad, but in a rainy winter’s night I took no chances.

Jul 20, 2025 at 4:54amWeb
Show threadBrisWombatJul 20, 2025
4/x
I crawled along at 15-20km/hr, and within a couple of minutes we encountered a Quoll on the road, which quickly ran away. Over the next few kilometers the rain was at that frustrating point of in between full wipers and intermittent.
We also passed a few pademelons, a bandicoot, a wombat (!!) and a few more pademelons.
About halfway back to the Ranger Station, I caught sight of another walker stopped on the side of the road. I had no ability to collect him as well, and he was very well rugged up. I guessed that if I saw him on my way back in, I’d have to take him out of the park as well. We made it out of the gated part of the park and back into civilisation.
There were still almost a dozen vehicles in the carpark, hopefully they were people sleeping in their cars or staying in cabins somewhere.
I dropped them off at their SUV, but asked how far they had to drive. The roads outside of Cradle at night heading back to Sheffield or Launceston must be risky at night too?
Show threadBrisWombatJul 20, 2025
5/x they were luckily staying at a motel close to the visitors centre, which was a relief to me. They were very appreciative, hugging me and saying I was a life saver.
I don’t know about that, I guess people staying in other cabins might have helped them out.
To me three really wasn’t much choice, so I did it. As I re-entered to park, I stopped at the Ranger Station to mention the other person. It was closed for the night, so I jumped back into the car and started the slow drive back in.
I saw almost as many animals on the way back in as I did going out. I had to wait for the wombat to get off the road!
I did not see the walker, I’m guessing he had been collected by another car leaving the park, or maybe a patrolling ranger.
The same quoll was on the road again when I’d gotten most of the way back. This time I stopped about 10m from it, and it stood on hind legs looking at me. It started in my direction so I had to reverse so I could still see it, and it eventually cleared to road.
Show threadBrisWombatJul 20, 2025
6/6 nearing the turnoff to the cabins, I noticed the ranger station near Ronny Creek had lights on. I only then realised we could have sent them there, a 15 minute walk for them, but when they sought our help I was unaware the station was staffed.
I would have worried anyway if I had known of the station and sent them there, in case they’d have gotten lost again. They were all pretty upset when they had waved us down near our cabin.
I have to say, after a half day of driving and walking around the Ronny Creek surrounds, then the intense focus involved in negotiating the roads and wildlife, I crashed in my bunk not long after food, to the sound of pitter patter of light rain.
Oh, and a scurry to the loos at who-knows in the am. Fortunately they’re not too cold, and the shower cubicle is heated.
Show threadDavidJul 20, 2025
@WhombeX I did a night drive to Dove Lake and back when there (it was October I think), saw probably just as many critters, but alas, no Quolls.