Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park

Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park
IUCN Category II (National Park)
Nearest town/city	Queenstown
Coordinates	41°49′49″S 145°55′27″E / 41.83028°S 145.92417°E / -41.83028; 145.92417Coordinates: 41°49′49″S 145°55′27″E / 41.83028°S 145.92417°E / -41.83028; 145.92417
Area	161,443 ha[1]
Established	1922
Visitation	209,000 (in 2005)
Managing authorities	Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service
Official site	Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park

Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park is located in the Central Highlands area of Tasmania (Australia), 165 km northwest of Hobart. The park contains many walking trails, and is where hikes along the well-known Overland Track usually begins. Major features are Cradle Mountain and Barn Bluff in the northern end, Mount Pelion East, Mount Pelion West, Mount Oakleigh and Mount Ossa in the middle and Lake St Clair in the southern end of the park. The park is part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.

Access

Access from the south (Lake St. Clair) is usually from Derwent Bridge on the Lyell Highway. Northern access (Cradle Valley) is usually via Sheffield, Wilmot or Mole Creek. A less frequently used entrance is via the Arm River Track, from the east.

Usage fee

In 2005, the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service introduced a booking system and fee for use of the Overland Track over peak periods. Initially the fee was $100, but this was raised to $150 in 2007, and as at August 2011 is $180.^[2] The money that is collected is used to finance the park ranger organisation, track maintenance, building of new facilities and rental of helicopter transport to remove waste from the toilets at the huts in the park.

Development

The Tasmanian Government has moved to allow development in national parks and conservations areas. An 'In principle' permit has been granted for the establishment of an 'eco-friendly' resort at Pumphouse Point at Lake St Clair.

The Pelion Range from Mount Oakleigh, Cradle Mountain, Lake St Clair National Park

Flora and fauna

Cradle Mountain and Little Horn (to the left) by Dove Lake

The Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park is a significant location of Tasmania's endemic species—40–55% of the park's documented alpine flora is endemic. Furthermore, 68% of the higher rainforest species recorded in alpine areas in Tasmania are present in the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. The park's alpine vegetation is very diverse and, has largely escaped forest fires that have caused neighboring regions to suffer.

Animals present in the park include: pademelons, Bennett's wallabies, quolls, Tasmanian Devils, echidnas, wombats, possums, ravens and currawongs.

Birds

The park has been identified as an Important Bird Area (IBA) because it provides habitat for 11 of Tasmania's endemic bird species, as well as for the Flame and Pink Robins and the Striated Fieldwren. The IBA is important as a representative protected area in north-central Tasmania for those species.^[3]

See also

• Gustav Weindorfer
• Protected areas of Tasmania

References

1. ^ "Reserve Listing - National Parks". National Parks website. Parks and Wildlife Service Tasmania. http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?base=5714. Retrieved 2009-05-22. 
2. ^ "Parks and Wildlife Service Tasmania". http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?base=7831. Retrieved 9 August 2011. 
3. ^ "IBA: Cradle Mountain". Birdata. Birds Australia. http://www.birdata.com.au/iba.vm. Retrieved 2011-06-16. 

Further reading

• Chapman, John, Monica Chapman and John Siseman (2006) Cradle Mountain, Lake St Clair and Walls of Jerusalem National Parks 5th ed. Laburnum, Vic. : J. Chapman. ISBN 1-920995-01-3

External links

• Tasmania's Parks and Wildlife Service page about Lake St. Clair
• Tasmania's Parks and Wildlife Service page about Cradle Mountain
• UNESCO's World Heritage List web page for the Tasmanian Wilderness
• An article touching on the park's flora
• Wikitravel's Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park site