Cradle Mountain luxury
By Rani Staines | theage.com.au | 15 April
When the man acknowledged to be the founding father of Cradle Mountain tourism first dreamed of luring people to the region to enjoy its natural beauty, he envisaged lodgings of a fairly humble sort.
The attraction was to be the mountains and their views, the climate, the flora and fauna.
As for the lodgings ... well, just a roof over some weary heads, a simple log cabin, firm beds, and basic kitchen facilities.
In 1912 Austrian-born botanist and conservationist Gustav Weindorfer built his dream chalet. Using traditional bush carpentry techniques, he created the building from shingles split from Tasmania's famed King Billy pines, inside what later became the Cradle Mountain National Park.
He named it Waldheim, meaning "forest home", and along with his wife, Kate, hosted friends and early travellers, keen to experience the beauty of Cradle Mountain.
Fast forward almost 100 years and as I sip my cognac, I survey the room named for him and wonder what he would make of all this.
Cradle Mountain Lodge's Weindorfer Lounge is the antithesis of bush carpentry, featuring smooth leather sofas, a blazing fireplace and wood-lined walls. It is hardly what Gustav likely had in mind when he built Waldheim.
Where that chalet was proudly situated close to a running stream, Cradle Mountain Lodge has luxurious spa baths. Where Waldheim had primitive cooking facilities, the Lodge has a choice of two restaurants, a bar and, if you're staying in a Spa Cabin, complimentary canapes every evening.
Cradle Mountain Lodge doesn't bill itself as being a luxury stay by any means, and it offers a number of levels of comfort.
Pencil Pine Cabins are at the lowest end of the spectrum, but it wouldn't be right to describe them as budget in any way: there are family-sized cabins available and all have views and modern, polished decor.
Spa Cabins come with spas, and Spa Suites also feature a mini bar and log fire.
And then there are the King Billy Suites, the top of the pile, if you will. It's not just that King Billy suites are larger, have plush furnishings and a log fire: the standout attraction is the hot tub on the private balcony.
But if you're not in a King Billy, don't despair: you can always take advantage of the outdoor jacuzzi at the Waldheim Alpine Spa. Access to the hot tub area is $25, or complimentary with any spa treatment.
The experience is well worth the cost: the sensation of scalding hot water from the waist down and the icy winter air above is one of the most invigorating experiences you can imagine.
Even better: book a massage in one of the outer treatment rooms and gaze at mottled trunks of the slender birch trees outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, as a masseuse eases your hiking pain with some Swedish strokes. You could be in Scandinavia.
Three days at Cradle Mountain Lodge is a mammoth struggle: I'm meant to be there for the fresh mountain air, the hiking, and the general back-to-natureness.
But it's a major task to tear my weary limbs off that leather sofa for anything other than a spa session.
Luckily, there are other options. For those mountain purists who are keen to jettison the distractions of hot stone massages and twilight hors devours, there's the rustically unique Waldheim cabins, run by the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service.
There will be no cognacs by the fire here. However, the basic but comfortable accommodation is enhanced by the location of the eight cabins.
Situated five kilometres inside the Cradle Mountain National Park, they're set amidst buttongrass plains and rainforest. Walking tracks are right at the front door.
Inside, the cabins are none too shabby. They're equipped with all the necessities a hiker needs: cooking facilities and utensils, bar fridges, bunk beds, and perhaps most vital of all, heating.
Bathrooms are shared, however, and there are no power points - meaning no noisy televisions or music players to disturb the tranquillity.
Visitors can choose to bring their own bedlinen, or opt for it to be provided for the grand charge of $7.50.
Close by is the original Waldheim Chalet - or, at least, a faithful replica.
Sadly, a fire in 1974 left Gustav Weindorfer's dream a gutted and charred wreck. It was pulled down and reconstructed, but wise builders made sure to stay true to the original - right down to using the same bush carpentry techniques, and King Billy shingles.
The new structure now serves as a kind of museum, honouring the rich history of the humble building, and the lives of the couple whose early vision brought travellers to Cradle Mountain.
If you go
Cradle Mountain Lodge From $128 per person per night.
4038 Cradle Mountain Rd. Cradle Mountain, TAS, 7306.
Call: (03) 6492 2100 (resort reception) or visit www.cradlemountainlodge.com.au
Waldheim Cabins From $70 per night, park entry fees from $11
For bookings contact Cradle Mountain information, call: (03) 6492 1110 Email:cradleparks.tas.gov.au, www.parks.tas.gov.au
AAP
First published by TheAge.com.au on April 15 2008
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