{"id":1217,"date":"2017-02-22T16:06:10","date_gmt":"2017-02-22T05:06:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.adventuretours.com.au\/australia-outback-yarns?p=1217&#038;preview=true&#038;preview_id=1217"},"modified":"2019-03-25T16:25:31","modified_gmt":"2019-03-25T05:25:31","slug":"why-you-need-to-visit-tasmanias-lake-st-clair","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.adventuretours.com.au\/australia-outback-yarns\/why-you-need-to-visit-tasmanias-lake-st-clair\/","title":{"rendered":"Why you need to visit Tasmania&#8217;s Lake St Clair"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>In a beach-obsessed country, it can be hard to convince Aussies to ditch the waves and try a lake instead. But <a href=\"\/tasmania\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tasmania\u2019s<\/a> Lake St Clair may be the one to\u00a0change people&#8217;s\u00a0minds: it&#8217;s the deepest lake in Australia, the final stop on the famous Overland Track, and within handy driving distance of Cradle Mountain.<\/p>\n<p>The lake was formed more than 20,000 years ago, when a glacier carved a ravine in the middle of the alpine landscape. it filled with melted snow and ice, and soon became a 120-metre deep lake, revered by indigenous Australians and, by the 1800s, European artists and and explorers. Now Lake St Clair is getting a reputation as a hiker&#8217;s dream. Walking tracks criss-cross the surrounding forest, and it&#8217;s right next door to the equally stunning Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park.<\/p>\n<p><iframe width=\"1170\" height=\"658\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/OPf7Y4MFgXk?start=12&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3>Stay<\/h3>\n<p>The newest addition to the Lake St Clair area \u2013 and its only truly luxury digs \u2013 is Pumphouse Point, a repurposed, never-used pumping station for the area\u2019s unrealised hydro scheme. Set on a wharf 250 metres out into the lake, you can sleep surrounded by water looking out over ancient mountains from the hotel\u2019s enormous windows.<\/p>\n<p>Looking for something a little more rustic? Lake St Clair Lodge offers a variety of cabins and suites, as well as powered and unpowered campsites. While the cabins and suites are perfectly fine, the campground has to be up there as one of the most spectacular in Australia \u2013 the sites sit right next to the lake, which you can look across to ancient mountains and towering rainforest. If you\u2019re lucky you might also spot an echidna or kangaroo. Bring your gold coins to pay for a hot shower after a long day\u2019s trekking.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><a href=\"\/australia-outback-yarns\/walk-tasmania-hiking-trails\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">RELATED: CHECK OUT TASMANIA&#8217;S BEST SHORT HIKES<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3>Do<\/h3>\n<p>First thing\u2019s first: bring your hiking boots. Like in any good Aussie national park, there are bushwalking tracks aplenty here. On the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers side of the lake, there are a range of light and more difficult tracks to tackle. The easier end of the spectrum are nature trails such as the Donaghys Hill Wilderness Lookout Walk and the Franklin River Nature Trail; they\u2019re super short, but easy to knock off in a couple of hours if you\u2019re not an experienced walker. Go bush-bashing every weekend and keen for a bit of a challenge? The Frenchmans Cap Walking Track is right up your alley. This four-to-five-day hike will take you to the summit of Frenchmans Cap, a stand-out pinnacle made of silver quartzite. It leads winds its way across\u00a0plains, through rainforests of Huon Pine, and down into the region&#8217;s glacial valleys. It\u2019s not for the faint-hearted, though \u2013\u00a0harsh conditions can spring up out of nowhere. Try December to April for more temperate conditions.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"\/australia\/taste-tasmania-original-111440\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1207 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.adventuretours.com.au\/australia-outback-yarns\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Tasmania-Lake-St-Clair-hike-Adventure-Tours.jpg\" alt=\"Tasmania Lake St Clair walk hike - Adventure Tours \" width=\"700\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.adventuretours.com.au\/australia-outback-yarns\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Tasmania-Lake-St-Clair-hike-Adventure-Tours.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.adventuretours.com.au\/australia-outback-yarns\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Tasmania-Lake-St-Clair-hike-Adventure-Tours-585x376.jpg 585w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>For the most epic of Tasmanian bush walks, the Overland Track will test your mettle. It\u2019s a 65 kilometre, six-day slog, where you might experience freezing sleet, stinging sun and pounding rain all in the same day. But you\u2019ll also get to see some of Australia\u2019s most social media-worthy landscapes \u2013 we\u2019re talking rainforests older than prostitution, waterfalls you can drink from, and Tasmania\u2019s highest mountain (which you will be lucky enough to summit). There are huts along the way, but they only have limited space, so make sure you pack your tent (or make a dash for it each day). Concluding at the panoramic Lake St Clair, we reckon the six days of toil\u00a0is\u00a0more than worth it.<\/p>\n<p>If The Overland sounds a bit out of your reach, the\u00a0Cradle Mountain Circuit gets you up close and personal with Tassie\u2019s most famous peak, without days of walking. Allow a solid eight hours for this one; at 12.8 kilometres, it\u2019s still no picnic. It\u2019ll take you past the picturesque Dove Lake, and will have you scrambling over giant boulders to reach the top of Cradle Mountain \u2013 aka, views galore. This one can also be broken up into shorter hikes if you\u2019re after a view or two without the blisters.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"\/australia\/taste-tasmania-original-111440\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1206 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.adventuretours.com.au\/australia-outback-yarns\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Tasmania-Dove-Lake-Cradle-Mountain-Lake-St-Clair-walk-Adventure-Tours.jpg\" alt=\"Tasmania Lake St Clair Dove Lake Cradle Mountain walk - Adventure Tours\" width=\"700\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.adventuretours.com.au\/australia-outback-yarns\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Tasmania-Dove-Lake-Cradle-Mountain-Lake-St-Clair-walk-Adventure-Tours.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.adventuretours.com.au\/australia-outback-yarns\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Tasmania-Dove-Lake-Cradle-Mountain-Lake-St-Clair-walk-Adventure-Tours-585x376.jpg 585w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Closer to Lake St Clair, you can soak up a bit of local indigenous history on the F Larmairremener Tableti Walk, a three-kilometre stroll that uses panels to explore the story of the region\u2019s Larmairremener people.<\/p>\n<h3>Eat &amp; drink<\/h3>\n<p>Like any remote location, the chances of you finding a gourmet meal within walking distance are also pretty remote. However, if you have a car at your disposal (or better yet,<a href=\"\/australia\/taste-tasmania-original-111440\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> join a group tour <\/a>through the region) there are a couple of towns nearby that are worth the petrol money.<\/p>\n<p>Strahan is a teensy harbour town with Federation buildings and plenty of natural sites to see. It\u2019s also home to some great restaurants. The area is known for its seafood, and Bushman\u2019s Cafe reels it in and dishes it up with local, seasonal produce. You\u2019ll also find surprisingly excellent food at Union Takeaway on the main street. Strahan is a solid two hours from Lake St Clair, but it\u2019s a beautiful drive with tasty fare at the end that makes it worth the trip.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"\/australia\/taste-tasmania-original-111440\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1205 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.adventuretours.com.au\/australia-outback-yarns\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Tasmania-Strahan-lunch-Adventure-Tours.jpg\" alt=\"Tasmania Lake St Clair Strahan lunch Adventure Tours\" width=\"700\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.adventuretours.com.au\/australia-outback-yarns\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Tasmania-Strahan-lunch-Adventure-Tours.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.adventuretours.com.au\/australia-outback-yarns\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Tasmania-Strahan-lunch-Adventure-Tours-585x376.jpg 585w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Twin Peaks fans should head to Queenstown, a small mining village a little over an hour\u2019s drive away, with towering mine-stripped mountains and a huge copper mine looming over the land. It\u2019s not known for its Michelin stars, but try to organise a pit-stop\u00a0at one of the local pubs, which date back to the early 1900s, and are full of local miners.<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t fancy the drive? Closer to base camp is the Lake St Clair Lodge Bar + Restaurant, which serves a seasonal menu. The lodge\u2019s cafe fare is a bit more simple \u2013 think bacon and egg rolls for breakfast, and quiche for lunch \u2013 but is more than sufficient if you\u2019re looking for a decent, filling meal after a night in the tent.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Want to visit Lake St Clair? Check out our <a href=\"\/tasmania\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">small group adventures<\/a>\u00a0in the wilds of Tasmania.\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In a beach-obsessed country, it can be hard to convince Aussies to ditch the waves and try a lake instead. But Tasmania\u2019s Lake St Clair may be the one to\u00a0change&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":37,"featured_media":1204,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[207,87],"class_list":["post-1217","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","tag-lake-st-clair","tag-tasmania"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.adventuretours.com.au\/australia-outback-yarns\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1217","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.adventuretours.com.au\/australia-outback-yarns\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.adventuretours.com.au\/australia-outback-yarns\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.adventuretours.com.au\/australia-outback-yarns\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/37"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.adventuretours.com.au\/australia-outback-yarns\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1217"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.adventuretours.com.au\/australia-outback-yarns\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1217\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1836,"href":"https:\/\/www.adventuretours.com.au\/australia-outback-yarns\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1217\/revisions\/1836"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.adventuretours.com.au\/australia-outback-yarns\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1204"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.adventuretours.com.au\/australia-outback-yarns\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1217"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.adventuretours.com.au\/australia-outback-yarns\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1217"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.adventuretours.com.au\/australia-outback-yarns\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1217"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}