The lodge, in UNESCO World Heritage-listed wilderness, opened in the 1970s as an overnighter for bushwalkers, explorers and fishermen preparing to ascend into the wild. Now it’s a Peppers property. Guests arrive after a five-minute drive from the Cradle Mountain Visitor Information Centre or a short trip on the park’s shuttle – which departs regularly from outside the hotel’s entrance – then check in at the main reception area. Settle into a button-tufted chair beside a warming fire to swap paperwork before a short stroll to your cabin, aided by a map.
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Imagine a European chalet, but swap perch and northern pike for a lake filled with brown trout and mischievous platypuses, then add curious pademelons and Tassie devils. Photos of Gustav Weindorfer and wife Kate (formative botanists for the area) and Alec and Ossie Ellis (founders of Pencil Pine Lodge, the hotel’s previous iteration) hang on the walls. A slate fireplace, timber-shingled walls and vertical logs feature throughout. Some elements feel dated, but the charm and considered service from the youthful staff is omnipresent.
On a frigid afternoon, the timber mudroom of my Pencil Pine Cabin is a welcome reprieve that’s quickly bested when I open my suite’s door: cue a flood of warmth from the gas fire on the feature wall. The simple space looks out over the mossy myrtles and there are multiple spots – a king bed, chairs in front of the fire, the daybed in the corner – from which to luxuriate. A long desk, tall hanging space and well-equipped (albeit antiquated) bathroom make life here comfortable and extraordinarily simple, but the need for a refresh is evident. There’s no phone service or Wi-Fi in the room, so I’m blissfully offline as I watch echidnas and wallabies explore the undergrowth.
The generous breakfast buffet puts a spring in my step, with poached eggs, gooey brie and bowls of fruit prime fuel for the trails ahead. Barista coffee is included, too, which is ideal when the next closest cafe is at the bustling visitor centre.
For dinner, Highland Restaurant serves generous portions of thinly sliced beef carpaccio with pickled mushrooms and shaved parmesan or seared ocean trout with dill potatoes in two- or three-course menus; a tavern offers pub-style dinners and trivia nights. You can also join a cheese-and-wine tasting.
The Dove Lake circuit, about a 20-minute drive from the lodge, is a comfortable walk that takes about three hours. When the sky is clear, the vista is viscerally moving. Check out Gustav’s Waldheim Chalet and marvel at the rustic abode built from timber harvested from the surrounding forest, which housed the Weindorfers and their friends in the early days of what would become modern Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park.
On the lodge grounds, the Enchanted Stroll (part of the Enchanted Walk) could reveal a hiding place of a platypus or, if you’re lucky, wandering wombats and blonde wallabies.
The property has an onsite spa, The Waldheim Alpine Spa, where you can indulge in a hot stone massage or book out a dedicated therapeutic area known as The Sanctuary. The Sanctuary has a soaking tub, steam room, sauna and cold plunge space for an hour of private wellness. A list of weekly onsite activities is pinned to the lobby noticeboard.
A historic lodge in the heart of the wilderness makes going bush a bit more luxurious, but some spaces are due for a freshen-up to keep it on track for the future.
From $299 a night. The property has two accessible rooms. 4038 Cradle Mountain Road, Cradle Mountain, Tasmania. See cradlemountainlodge.com.au
A free-to-use guest laundry makes a world of difference for travellers, hikers and long-stay guests alike.
On especially crisp mornings, the walk to my distant cabin feels dreadfully long.
The writer stayed at Peppers Cradle Mountain Lodge with Outback Spirit on the Tasmanian Outback Explorer tour. See outbackspirittours.com.au
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