A Day on the Mountain
At the end of April, my good friend & fellow photographer Lee and I travelled to Tasmania, looking for a break from our everyday routines and in search of much more. We wanted to feel more deeply connected to nature, ourselves and be present in each moment; and in Cradle Mountain we achieved just that.
If I were to write about all of the incredible experiences of our three-night stay, I’d be here at my keyboard for hours, and truth be told I’ve never considered myself much of a writer. Instead I am just going to recount our first full day, more for myself than anything.
Lee and I got out of our beds at 5am and threw on the many layers of clothing that we’d need to face the alpine conditions of the mountain. We had a goal in mind, to summit the jagged peaks of Cradle Mountain and photograph what we saw along the way. We hopped in the car and made our way to Ronny Creek Carpark, the furthest location that you are allowed to drive to in the National Park in a private vehicle. It was pitch black, expect for the light of a few stars which would appear between the heavy clouds above us. Rain was forecast for later in the day, but we were still set on accomplishing our goal as the weather was only to get worse over the remainder of our stay. We hiked in the dark for some time, when we finally reached the path to our first photography stop: Dove Lake.
The days first light was starting to appear and make its attempt to penetrate the thick cloud cover above. Despite the gloomy conditions, what met my eyes got my mind racing with excitement. Rugged wilderness, the vast lake, the mountainous peaks which would lead us to our goal (which was currently lost in the clouds). I’m from the desert, so these were the type of scenes that I’d always romanticised seeing - it didn’t disappoint. Dove Lake is one of the most famous photography locations in the country, home to the iconic Dove Lake Boatshed and we were lucky enough to have it to ourselves for some time. We were eventually joined by a group of other photographers, the team from World Photo Adventures, some of the best photographers in the country! They were all great guys and it was a privilege hearing them speak about photography and how to get meaningful shots from less than ideal conditions. We would see them quite a lot over our stay and were always met with a friendly greeting or a tip-off about wild Platypus in a nearby river (thanks guys!).
Once we had exhausted as much time as we could down at the lake, we set off for our next goal: Marion’s Lookout. We took a more technical hiking trail from Dove Lake to reach the lookout, but we were always rewarded after each steep, chain section. The Fagas (Nothofagus Gunnii), Australia’s only native deciduous tree and only found in Tasmania, was changing to its Autumn colours. Lush greens were giving way to scarlet reds, rusted oranges and golden yellows; it’s one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. We hiked surrounded by these lovely tones until we reached Marion’s Lookout, a rocky escarpment which granted views over the National Park and its many beautiful peaks and lakes. It was here our luck and the weather had seemingly changed: the sun came out! There was a break in the clouds and we could see our goal, the peaks of Cradle Mountain. We took our time to bask in the stunning views, vivid colours of the park and take some photos (of course). We were also joined by a new friend, Sean, who we had met the night before at our accommodation. He was a film photographer and had the same goals in mind as Lee and I, so we all set off together towards the mountain.
Unfortunately the change in weather was not to last - the forecasted clouds and accompanying rain were beginning to fly back overhead and as we climbed higher, we were walking surrounded by fog and misty rain. Visibility began to lessen significantly and as we reached Kitchen Hut, a historic emergency shelter made of wood and stone, the conditions only got worse. Here we rested and began to weigh up our options and as a group we made the decision that tackling the jagged summit of Cradle Mountain was an adventure for another time. After all, what would be the point of risking our lives if we weren’t going to be treated to the prize of spectacular views?
As we made our way back down the mountain, we opted to take an alternate path back down and around Crater Lake. The rain and fog continued to hamper our efforts, but still our spirits remained high. We shared a lot of laughs on the way, meditated by a cliff face (which turned into a nap for Lee), and hiked through some bushland, forests and streams. We had finally made our way onto some level ground, and were lucky enough to run into some wombats having an afternoon graze along the hills. We took some photos (are you surprised?).
After the day’s total of 15-20kms hiked, we finally made our way back to where it all started in the dark that morning. Even though we didn’t accomplish the summit like we had hoped, I wouldn’t change a single moment from my day on the mountain.
