Lake St Clair, Tasmania

For about a ¼ of my life, I have camped out in the wilderness, really!


It is amazing how I got into camping and love to just touch the trees, marvel in between the pin-like leaves a dollop of rhododendron stretch themselves to reach the sky and watching the clouds pass all over my body at 7k feet above sea level. While I cook my dinner in a leech infested campsite, I can still silently listen to the river flows and where fishes grow to more than a foot long. I can walk in the rain and enjoy the drench of a mix between water from the sky with the mist from the moisture-laden montane forest, while clattering my teeth through the coldness of the wild. Sometimes it gets so cold that plunging myself into the river may be the better way to blend in the temperature. And when the sun is up, I find to my delight, a bed of Blue Lobelia growing in abundance, that would have added up to all the excitement for a tough long-hour trekking day.


Nature is always enticing and leaves me awestruck. While walking through a thick and dense montane forest, I can stare closely into all the little dew droplets hanging absorbingly onto a bunch of drooping mosses - and see my own face, in every droplet! It is so clear like a million mirrors hanging in the garden of Eden, I gasp over the clear untainted reflection, and what do I do? Well, reflect.....

The only place in the park that houses the reception, restaurant and shop.

The TassieLink bus with just a few of us onboard from Launceston, stopped at Lake St Clair Park , I looked out the window and saw the trees, I knew I had to alight. There was a pull, a strange feeling that I got to have it - a night in the park.


In the morning, I took the bus from Launceston TassieLink Bus Station, the bus was to head for Hobart via Lake St Clair. I thought that I had enough of the camping sites in Tasmania, I was ready to hit more urban cities instead, so even though I read a little about Lake St Clair, I wasn't that drawn to stay there. But somehow, the bus stopped at the Park Centre to pick up passengers. For the 10-min stop, I took a stroll to the nearby pavilion and I was hooked. I could sense that wilderness calling again, that raw, undisguised and unconcealed connection to mother, her gentleness in the air and her taming of the trees and her calmness in the water ....... oh, I got to stay here for the night.


Quickly, I went into the Park Centre and found that there were cabins available with a bed for me, I ran out to the bus, told the driver my intention, collected my rucksack from underneath, went back to the Centre and paid for the cabin room booking immediately. 

Farther across the lake is Cradle Mountain.

It took me a few minutes to walk to my cabin over at the bank of the lake. The place was like a huge camping ground where all the amenities were built around the dorm area. It felt like a self-sustaining village with water supply, bathrooms, kitchen with most of the kitchen utensils and cooking equipment. The cabin had 2 double deck bunk beds, for 4 tenants. The cabins were laid out like those squatters long-house in KL. The kitchen was adjacent to the cabins, while the bathrooms were situated farther away. 


It was chilly when sun down. With the toilet situated so far away from my cabin, I had to get up and walk to the toilet in the middle of the night. I climbed down from my bunk bed, put on a fleece, with my eyes half open, wasn't something I like to do if it weren't of my full bladder. Then, walked out quietly because it was so tranquil you can even hear your bunkmate's breathing, the whole place was well-lit so I could find my way even in my sleepiness. But it was the walk to the toilet that jolted me out of my sleepy head when I realized that in the dark, the Lake came to life in its mysticism and magic. I stood like a midget under those mighty trees, they twiddled softly to the gentle breeze, like fiddling something. I put my hands in my fleece pockets and for a while, I stood there and listened, and felt the quietness that was both alluring and seductive. The serenity led me back to my bed and I slept like a prince - it was the 1st day of the Chinese Lunar New Year 2007, and I had a comfortable bunk bed to sleep on!

A wonderful morning, waking up to a beautiful calm lake.

The next morning, I was up very early to take my time to sit at the lakeside. Doing nothing, just sat on a fallen log, think of nothing, just be the lake, and feel nothing but mother, the one who embraces all her creations.


Then, I thought I will have a scrumptious breakfast. I packed up and walked back to the Park Centre where the restaurant was serving buffet continental breakfast at AUD12 with free flow of coffee. So, I had 2 cups of yogurt, 2 slices of bread with fresh jam and a box of cereals. 


The cabin was AUD25 per person per night. Hot shower was available by inserting a coin token into the shower heater. The token was AUD1, available from the booking counter. I was given only 1 token when I checked in, so I can take one hot shower for 5 minutes after I slot in the token. The heater will automatically turn off after 5 minutes. Well, someone who did not take a bath gave me her token before she left, ahem.....so, that gave me a free hot shower the next morning, so so blessed, got to enjoy a hot shower........!