Launceston to Lake St Clair

Travelling from Launceston to Lake St Clair was the first step in my plan to road trip around Tasmania. To work things out, I tackled the start and end locations, plotted the ‘big ticket’ stops and then set about filling in the blanks.

There’re many reasons Lake St Clair topped the list of places I wanted to visit during the trip, but before that, make sure you’re not confusing Lake St Clair (Tasmania) with the other Lake St Clair in North America. You don’t want to find out you’ve booked accommodation on the other side of the world.

Ending in the Cradle Mountain – Lake St Clair National Park, a massively beautiful national park, by the way, the Launceston to Lake St Clair leg of the trip made perfect sense – not too far to travel in one leg, and leaves plenty of time to explore. You’ll find Lake St Clair to the southeast of Cradle Mountain, which is easy enough to drive around in a pretty short amount of time. You can even stop off in Queenstown if you’d rather see people than animals. If it’s your thing, you can also head out on some intense treks, some routes taking days to complete – such as the famous Overland Track. But that better covers Cradle Mountain than the Launceston to Lake St Clair leg of our journey.

When you reach the lake, you’ll be greeted with clear views across the water, and apart from a small jetty, there’s just you, and nature. You’ll be able to access onsite facilities too, they just happen to be behind you so they don’t infringe on the natural beauty.

I found myself sitting on a warm beach overlooking the 15km long lake, with a gorgeous backdrop of green forests and mountains. It’s not unlike what you’d see in Zurich, but infinitely more secluded and miles away from the hustle and bustle of a busy city.

Speaking of the lake, if you fancy a break from driving having completed the stretch from Launceston to Lake St Clair, you can also cross the lake by ferry. The 28-kilometre round trip is done 3 times a day, seven days a week in the summer months (That’s Christmas for those from the Northern Hemisphere). The IDA CLAIR goes from Narcissus Bay to Cynthia Bay, with a stop off at Echo Point. If you want to take the ferry you can find the schedule and prices here.

The resort has ample parking and pretty good facilities for visitors and campers alike. The beaches of the lake are soft and sandy, and the water is clear and cool, which makes this a great place to kick back and relax. It’s all made so much better if you’re spending a bit of time chilling out after a long day of walking and driving.

This brings me to another point. There is a whole range of different walks to embark upon from here. Short walks, long walks, as well as overnight walks. That’s not even including the Overland Track. It doesn’t matter how fit, or unfit, you are, you can be sure to find a trail that suits you.

Lake St Clair itself reaches 160 metres at its deepest point, and as you would expect, is freshwater. It’s the point where the River Derwent begins – the same river which flows through the Tasmanian capital of Hobart.

It’s a clean, peaceful place, perfect to spend time with the family having a picnic. Or, to go on a long walk to clear your head. It doesn’t matter what you have in mind, you can all but guarantee you’ll find something to enjoy at Lake St Clair. You could also do what I did and spend some time fooling around with a camera, trying to work out how to take better pictures (still working on that) while your sidekick phones home. Or, at the very least you can go have a barbeque somewhere different.

If you’re planning on travelling around Tasmania, make sure you don’t miss out on this experience. It’s not too difficult to journey from Launceston to Lake St Clair in a day and gives you an excellent stopping point.

From experience, Tasmania, and the Cradle Mountain – Lake St Clair National Park, have some of the best walking trails I’ve ever had the privilege of exploring. Once again, a friendly reminder to wear appropriate clothing and take plenty of water with you.

You can find more information about the national park on the Parks & Wildlife Service site, and further information about the facilities at Lake St Clair on the Park Centre site.