Transport

Hiking the Overland Track..... What You Need to Know

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We often hear from our customers that planning the logistics of their Overland Track hike is the most complicated aspect of their trip. So, we’ve decided to try and make things a little easier for you by giving you some helpful hints!

 First up, before you even get to Cradle Mountain there are a few things you should be aware of


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·      You need to have booked your Overland Track Pass already if you’re planning to hike between the 1st of October and 31st of May.

·      There are 34 permits available each day

·      Permits become available at 9am on the 1st of July for the following summer season, get in early as they sell out fast!  You can book your permits here https://parks.tas.gov.au/explore-our-parks/cradle-mountain/overland-track

·      You will also need a separate National Parks Pass which you can pre-purchase online here https://passes.parks.tas.gov.au/ or you can organise this when you arrive at the Visitors Information Centre

 

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·      If you plan to take the ferry from Narcissus to Cynthia Bay at the end of your hike it’s a really good idea to have booked this with as much notice as possible – the popular times will book out well in advance.

·      There are 3 time options for your pick up from Narcissus – 0930, 1300 & 1530

·      You can book your ferry here https://www.lakestclairlodge.com.au/lake-st-clair-ferry-service/



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·      Hire an ePirb - you can do this through our online Hiking Gear Hire page . Alternatively you can hire these at the Visitors Information Centre at Cradle Mountain, but they can sell out and you can’t pre-book! 



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·      Book some transport! That’s where we come in! We have a range of different options to get you to/from the trail…. But there is some information that you should be aware of before you decide what to do…. Read on!

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·      Upon your arrival at Cradle Mountain you will collect your permit and parks pass (unless you have purchased one in advance) from the rangers at the Visitors Information Centre.

·      Once you’re all signed in the rangers will conduct a safety briefing to ensure you have the right equipment, understand the conditions, what you’re about to embark upon and answer any questions that you may have.

·      These briefings are compulsory and the first one is at 0830 – with others occurring hourly after that. We recommend arriving half an hour before the briefing time to ensure you make it – otherwise you may have to sit around and wait a while for the next one!

·      The safety briefings will take roughly half an hour and, once finished, you can hop on the shuttle bus and head out to Ronny Creek to begin your hike!

·      All up, from arrival at Cradle to stepping out of the shuttle bus at Ronny Creek you should allow an hour (more if you want to grab a coffee at the café!)

·      You can check in the day before you start hiking but only from 1500 onwards with the last briefing at 1630 – if you choose to do this then the following morning you can just wander down to the shuttle bus and head straight into the National Park to start hiking!

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OK…. now that you know all of those details, it’s time to decide on some transport, and there are a few options for you:

-       Launceston to Cradle Mountain: the most popular option, will take roughly 2hours

-       Hobart to Cradle Mountain: not as common as above as this option takes twice as long, if this is your choice we’d advise arriving at Cradle the day before your hike starts to avoid a long drive and a late start on the trail.

-       Lake St Clair to Cradle Mountain: for those who have further travel plans after they finish hiking and have access to their own vehicle a popular option is to park your car at Lake St Clair and be transported back to Cradle Mountain to start hiking. As with the Hobart to Cradle option, this is a longer drive (3.5hours) and we’d recommend doing this the day before your hike is due to start.

-       You may also choose to park at Cradle, hike the trail, be picked up at Lake St Clair and driven back to your car at Cradle.

-       Lake St Clair to Launceston: your pick up from Lake St Clair will depend on the ferry you have booked, or the time you plan to arrive at the Lake St Clair Visitors Centre. It’s a 2.5hour drive back to Launceston.

-       Lake St Clair to Hobart: exactly the same info as above!

 

Bookings for transport can be made here: https://wildislandadventure.com/transfers and as always, if you have any questions or need further advise please get in touch https://wildislandadventure.com/contact

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