It's my first time to Tasmania - what should I bring?

I am from Queensland or Hong Kong, Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia…

I am a little nervous about the cold.

What should I bring?

I get this question a lot, especially for my Cradle Mountain trips. And it is understandable, as the weather down here can be dynamic (click on link to view an Australian Government Weather website - click on Cradle Valley if you are looking for up to date forecasts for the Cradle Mountain area)

Four Seasons in one day, and snow in the higher parts, such as Cradle Mountain at any time of year is not uncommon.

Cradle Mountain area and a pleasant 5 degrees.

The incredibly beautiful start of our walk for the Hobart to Cradle Mountain Day Trip is at Dove Lake, with the jagged and iconic peaks of Cradle Mountain peering over the glacial lake towards us, and sits at 900 m above sea level.

The iconic Cradle Mountain rising up to 500 m higher than Dove Lake

Two amazingly beautiful trails start from here. Classed as moderate you can choose to walk the full perimeter of Dove Lake, known as the Dove Lake Circuit (click here to see TAS Parks and Wildlife page about this walk) which takes on average just over 2 hours OR you can challenge yourself to take the challenging trail and hike up to Marions Lookout, a little further on from Crater Lake.

If the weather is favourable, then the 320 metre elevation gain across 2 km of sub-alpine terrain will reward you with some of the best wilderness, views and feelings you will ever experience. The feeling of accomplishment as you catch your breath at the top after using the chain to scale a very steep section of a rocky rise above Crater Lake is also pretty special.

Almost to Marions Lookout, a challenging but gorgeous hike - in Winter it can be a little more challenging

It is a challenging hike, no doubt about it. But not difficult, it is just steep in sections. You definitely do need a good level of fitness and strong knees. If the conditions are good, and they often are, then for the considerable effort to reach the high point you will be rewarded with spectacular views across a rare expanse of wilderness as far as the eye can see.

Marions Lookout winter achievement, always beautiful.

Pro-tip: Be Bold and Start Cold!

Being outside in Tasmania does present challenges to keeping warm, but layers is your smart choice. It does not take long at all for your body to warm up, so big puffy jackets and taking too much clothing is not advised. When  you step outside of a warm interior to the elements, then if you can be okay just standing there for 2 minutes without feeling too uncomfortable, then you will be fine and quickly warm up once you start walking.

Definitely bring comfortable walking shoes. And a warm jacket.

The weather can change quickly and showers are quite common, so a good spray jacket is a great idea. 

Tasmania enjoys a Temperate Maritime climate - that is, it would be much colder than it is given the latitudes, but the influence from the ocean currents moderates the extremes and we enjoy really nice weather. Mostly.

Snow in the higher parts, above 800m, is fairly common. This means many accessible parts of the island will be attracting and holding snow throughout Winter, and occasionally at any other time of year.

A beautiful Winter’s day at Cradle Mountain

So, do not be put off by a little cold weather. Cradle Mountain is often at its most beautiful when it is cold outside. Our day trips from Hobart are a great way to experience one of Nature’s Masterpieces, a truly beautiful and rare wilderness environment.