Cradle Mountain, Australia

Cradle Mountain– Lake St Clair National Park is Tasmania's best-known wilderness region, its northern Cradle Mountain end easily accessible from Devonport, Deloraine or Launceston – and with the crowds that go with that in peak season – and its southern Lake St Clair end from Derwent Bridge on the Lyell Highway between Queenstown and Hobart. A popular route from Devonport is via Sheffield on the B14, then the C132 via Wilmot, and for the final stretch to Cradle Valley, the C136. One of the most glaciated areas in Australia, with many lakes and tarns, the park covers some of Tasmania's highest land, with craggy mountain peaks such as Mount Ossa (1617m), the state's highest point. At its northern end, Dove Lake, backed by the jagged outline of Cradle Mountain, is a breathtaking sight, and at the park's southern end, Lake St Clair is the country's deepest freshwater lake at over 200m, occupying a basin gouged out by two glaciers. Between Cradle Mountain and Lake St Clair, the 65-kilometre Overland Track attracts walkers from all over the world, and is the best way to take in the stunning scenery – spread over five or more mud- and often leech-filled days of exhilarating exhaustion. However, you can do just part of the walk, or make several other satisfying day-walks around Cradle Mountain or Lake St Clair.