Recently I was lucky enough to be asked to take a little trip to a Discovery Holiday Park in my state of Tasmania and tell you all how I found it. I chose to spend a couple of days at Discovery Parks Cradle Mountain in the Central Highlands.
Cradle Mountain is part of Lake St Clair National Park and one of the loveliest spots in Tassie. It’s home to many species of wildlife including wallabies and Tasmanian Devils, as well as the slow and cuddly wombat.
Cradle Mountain is a 700km round trip for me so it was a bit of an adventure. I took my time driving on a very cold morning and decided to travel down roads I hadn’t been on before, towns like Railton, known for it topiary artworks, and Sheffield, the town of murals, were part of my journey.
Being winter, some of the roads were icy and wet and the closer I got, the colder it became. I arrived at Cradle Mountain Discovery Park just before 2pm and noticed how still the air was and how quiet the area was.
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Discovery Holiday Parks Cradle Mountain is virtually at the gateway to the National Park and right across the road from the Cradle Mountain visitor centre. So far, I was impressed, just by the sheer location.
I pulled into the Discovery Holiday Park and met Meegan inside the park reception and store. If you travel to this park, Meegan is the person who will book you in, explain everything to you and generally tell you all you need to know. What a joy she was. Friendly, knowledgeable and courteous. Bonus points for this park!
Upon arriving at my cabin, I ran into some of the domestic staff who assured me my cabin was warm and cosy. I unlocked the door and instantly felt at home. This was the best in budget accomodation I had ever come across.
It had everything you could wish for. The living room with incorporated dining area was decked out with a plush blue couch and dining furniture. The kitchen was well equipped, right down to the dishwashing liquid and the two bedrooms were spacious.
The theme was blue throughout and the towels were soft and big. My personal favourite was the bathroom, complete with large spa bath, which I took advantage of. The gas log fire was burning brightly and although it was only one degree outside, it was warm and inviting inside this cute cabin.
That night, as I snuggled into my bed, I could hear the native animals roaming around outside, foraging for food. The animal sounds of the park were comforting. I hoped to awaken to perhaps a little snow.
The following day dawned colder, if that was possible, and after breakfast I headed off to explore. Alas, no snow had fallen overnight, at least not to ground level.
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As I walked out of the cabin, the man in the accomodation next to me greeted me with a smile and a can of something that he said was guaranteed to remove the two inches of ice from my car.
When this was done he informed me he too was from Tassie and lived just kilometres from me. Go figure.
You can get a bus pass from the visitor centre and take a leisurely 10-minute ride to the mountain. What a great idea as the road is very narrow and winding and covered in ice at this time of the year.
It was breathtaking.
Along the way there are wombats feeding on the frozen grass, oblivious to the tourist, there were fast-running streams and even a waterfall or two. You can hop off the bus at various stations and take in the scenery or stroll down one of the walking tracks.
There are tracks in all directions, which can stretch from 10-minute walks to all-day treks. Suddenly the oohs and ahhs could be heard from the foreign tourists in the bus and the cameras were clicking and phones were held up to the window.
There in front of us she stood, majestic, imposing and covered in snow, Cradle Mountain. She towered above the water known as Dove Lake, which is still and grey in the winter temperature. The picture is like a postcard.
I have seen it before but it still takes my breath away.
A little wallaby stood very still as cameras began clicking again and tourists were trying to pose with the little guy. He looked a little bored but behaved himself for their benefit.
The mountain was beautiful and the snow had fallen low enough to settle on its peaks, adding to the serenity and stillness of the area.
The shuttle buses run every 20 minutes and your ticket is valid all day, so you can get on and off as often as you like.
I headed back to the visitor centre and drove a short distance down the road to the newly refurbished gallery and museum with its amazing attractions, including the new animal hologram.
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It was fascinating and well worth the visit. My day was spent exploring and enjoying what I could fit in, as well as a little light lunch and a glass or two of wine. A girl’s gotta eat, right?
When I headed back to my cabin the temperature had dropped below zero. It was plain that falling snow had eluded me but snow or not, Cradle Mountain is awe inspiring.
I wish to thank Travel At 60 and in particular Discovery Holiday Parks for a wonderful mini break.
This particular park was just lovely. There is only one disability friendly cabin but my source informed me they are currently working on that.
The staff were amazing, especially the lovely Meegan and the cabin was very well equipped, warm and inviting.
There is plenty to do and the staff are only too happy to assist you. I do advise you take your own drinking water, though. The Discovery Holiday Park also recommends you boil any water you use for drinking. If you are heading to Tassie, Discovery has parks across the state no matter what part you want to visit. As for me, I love Cradle Mountain and it is beautiful any time of the year.
This post was sponsored by Discovery Parks Australia but the opinions are the author’s.
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