Dove Lake Boathouse Morning Light - Cradle Mountain Tasmania

Dove Lake Boathouse is sited at the northern end of Dove Lake, near Cradle Mountain. It was built to house boats and rafts for visitors to Waldheim Lodge. In a similar fashion to Waldheim Lodge, it is timber framed with shingles cladding the walls and roof. It is now vacant although it was in popular use prior to 1970 to house several Huon Pine rowboats. A similar shed exists at Crater Lake. There is no floor and it is not a suitable refuge for sleeping.

Dove Lake is a glaciated lake bed. A walk, known as the Dove Lake Circuit encapsulates the circumference of the lake. It is board walked for most of the way to help protect the species of flora present around the lake. The circuit is 5.7km in length and takes 2 hours to complete. Highlights of the walk include Glacier Rock, Ballroom Forest and the boatshed.

Cradle Mountain is also a popular location for hiking and mountaineering located in the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. It is also a terminus of the Overland Track which runs from the mountain to Lake St Clair in the south. The mountain is composed of dolerite columns which is a common geological formation in the state. It is home to numerous flora and fauna including the only decidous plant in the highlands, the decidous beech. It is also home to the interesting strawberry bracket fungus.

The Overland Track is a popular hike. Blandfordia Lodge lies in the area typically covered by the first day’s hiking. This section runs from Ronny Creek to Waterfall Valley over a distance of 11km and includes optional side trips to Cradle Mountain and Barn Bluff. The track passes Crater Lake and Crater Falls and climbs over Marion’s Lookout during this stage.