AUSTRALIA
Local residents,
the Wombat and
Tasmanian DevilWHERE TO STAY
Nothing says warm welcome like a log
fireplace in the lobby, and Cradle
Mountain Hotel (cradlemountainhotel.
com.au) has more than one. In addition to
beautifully cosy rooms, the hotel also has
its own Wilderness Gallery and gift shop,
filled with original paintings, sculptures, and
installations showing Tasmania through the
eyes of its locals.CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF
THE FURRY KIND
A fluffy grey boulder bounds across the
grass. Maria greets us by sniffling
enthusiastically at our hands, knowing
that there’ll be food to come. Orphaned
when her mother got hit with a car while
she was still in the pouch, Maria the
wombat is currently in her adolescence at
18 months of age, and still adorably
affectionate. At two years, she will fully
mature and become intolerable of human
contact – that is when she will be released
back in the wild. At the Bonorong
Wildlife Sanctuary, many animals come
in sick or injured, and will either become
permanent residents, or released afterThe Dove Lake circuit is one of the most
popular paths in St Clair National Park,
with the iconic Cradle Mountain as its
majestic backdrop. Cradle Mountain is so
named because its peaks form a silhouette
that resembles a baby in its cradle. The
boat shed at Dove Lake is also one of its
most-photographed sights, its well-worn
frame heralding a time long since past and
making a rather romantic setting for a
dramatic looking-off-into-the-distance
shot. The Overland Track is also a well-
known hiking trail that will take you
through the heart of the park, but takes an
average of six to seven days to conquer.
Weather conditions or road closures
happen on occasion, be sure to check with
the Lake St Clair Visitor Centre beforehand
(+61 3 6289 1172; parks.tas.gov.au).
All up and down the Freycinet Peninsula
are staggering pink granite cliffs, secluded
bays fringed by white sandy beaches, and
pure turquoise waters as far as the eye can
see. It’s a short hike up to Cape Tourville
and Wineglass Bay Lookout (roughly
90mins round trip), but for the full
Freycinet Experience, there are multiple
guided tours that will take you round the
dramatic and ancient landscapes,
breathtaking vistas, and rare flora
(freycinet.com.au).rehabilitation. Randall the echidna is one
of these permanent residents; he lost a
leg in a dog attack, and although fully
healed, will need special care all his life.
In addition to housing a whole mob of
kangaroos, the occasional wombat, a
family of Tasmanian devils, a trio of
Eastern quolls, and a gorgeous peacock
that roams the grounds freely, the
sanctuary also actively educates and
invests in wildlife conservation
(bonorong.com.au).
The locals refer to them as pademelons
(pronounced paddy-melon), a close
relative of the wallaby and one of the
smallest macropods in the world. They
look like a cross between a quokka and a
wallaby, with its thick, short tail and a
petite little face. Together with wombats,
echidnas, quolls, possums and the
elusive Tasmanian devil, pademelons
roam freely in the grounds surrounding
Cradle Mountain. McDermott’s Coaches
does an amazing night wildlife spotting
tour (since most of these animals are
nocturnal), where the drivers bring you
to their favourite spots to see some of
these critters feeding and grooming in
their natural habitat – no enclosure, no
performance shows, just pure wildlife
(mcdermotts.com.au).