In the stillness of time

Imagine a place you could escape to where time has altered nothing, where the sun gently caresses breathtaking valleys and peaks, and the rhythm of life remains the same as it has for millennia. In this same place, adventures come to light, and Tolkien-esque rainforests exude a magic all their own (for if goblins and fairies really did exist, then this is surely where they would build their home).

And yet this is no fairytale, but a true tale of wonder down to every natural detail. From the first step onto the Overland Track, let the nomadic adventure find its feet in this World Heritage Area beckoning beauty with every stride.

At the entrance to the park at historic Waldheim Chalet, the home of Cradle Mountain’s first great conservationist, Gustav Wiendorfer, the inscription reads “This is Waldheim, where there is no time and nothing matters”. Over the next few days, it will feel as if never a truer sentiment has been uttered. For this is indeed a landscape that time has thankfully forgotten, where nature has been left to its own devices and ancient trees rise majestically from the earth in regal defiance of man and modern-day machinations.

Low shrubbery in vast spaces acts like a brilliant carpet over which to view the unrestrained landscape, and the path leads you ever higher until you reach Marion’s Lookout and the chance to take in the panoramic vision of Cradle Mountain itself and the purity of Dove Lake. Sassafras trees put on a spectacular display of fluttering leaves, and the surrounding alpine grandeur takes a bow.

Like the closing page at the end of day, warmth awaits in the only private huts secreted in this fragile place. Fine food and wine and conviviality are in abundance as the stars come out to lay a sparkling blanket over the earth.

In the early morning light, yellow gumtrees bask in the sun’s glow and turn a vivid shade. As you venture further into the stillness, the wide-open scene closes in; the vastness of the mountain and the sky becoming tighter and with it a new landscape of forest opens up to lead you inward. A wombat interrupts the rhythmic flow, languidly stretched out in the pathway of the walkers (for sometimes nature watches back and interacts), a sleepily surprised mass to tread gently around.

With each day, the imm ersion into total wilderness becomes all encompassing. Thousand-year-old trees loom overhead and put life into perspective as a calming atmosphere prevails. Banter gradually falls to the wayside, and it’s up to the fluid chatter of the birds to fill the air with a gentle chorus of voices as you’re left speechless amongst so much beauty; fresh eyes on an ancient landscape.

And out of the blue, an invigorating challenge arises. Mt. Ossa, Tasmania’s highest mountain, rises ahead and with it the opportunity for a further side-climb. Halfway to the peak, sublime miniature alpine plants recall the most immaculately tended bonsai garden, a groomed sweep of serenity on a truly grand scale. The views are spectacular, and by the fireside of Kia Ora hut in the early evening, Cathedral Mountain casts a warm glow as the sun melts away on its glacial façade.

On into rainforests and the fragrant scent of leatherwood gardens at historic Du Cane Hut, with the invigorating purity of heaving waterfalls the soundtrack to the day. Powerfully rhythmical, the chance to sit back in awe and take it all in is given, a compelling clarity of life (almost) taking centre stage.

The next is a discovery of a different kind, of forest making way for eucalypts and downward steps towards the gem-like pool of Lake St. Clair. Paddymelons and wallabies offer a welcome service as they hop inquisitively alongside, seemingly leading the way towards one of Tasmania’s prized jewels. And it’s here that the voyage on foot comes to an end as a boat waits to take you on a journey of a different kind across the lake, a watery mood ring that is an eternal reflection of the sky and all her whims; a hand-in-hand dance readily inviting you to partake in.

A tale of wonder in every step takes place in Cradle Mountain Huts, an uplifting experience in a beautifully rare environment. Like nothing else on earth, this is a story just waiting to be told…