Australian Flora and Fauna V - Cradle Mountain, Tasmania (Part 2)

We continued our almost five day stay at Cradle Mountain - Lake St. Clair National Park, Tasmania with a long bushwalk from Ronny Creek up to Marion's Lookout and then back down to Dove Lake. Part of the walk took us along the Overland Track which runs through the Park.

View from Ronny Creek in Cradle Mountain - Lake St. Clair National Park

The landscape includes button grass (mesomelaena sphaerocephala) which is ubiquitous at Cradle Mountain. The seed pods of the button grass are responsible for coloring the streams in Cradle Mountain a dark coffee color.

Button Grass (Mesomelaena sphaerocephala)

The scenery also is dotted with pandani (richea pandanifolia) which are the largest heath plant in the world and found only in Tasmania. Appearances are deceiving, as the pandani is not related to the palm family. Pandani leaves are very sharp.

Pandani (Richea pandanifolia) along the Overland Track

On our way down from Marion's Lookout, we caught this view of Lake Lilla, Dove Lake and Cradle Mountain.

In the evenings, near Cradle Mountain Lodge, we saw more Tasmanian marsupials including the common wombat and the red-necked Bennett's wallaby (Macropus refugriseus). We learned that wombats defend themselves from predators by diving into their holes and protecting themselves with their rear composed of cartilage that acts as a shield (and sometimes can be used to crush and injure the predator).

Common Wombat

Bennett's Wallaby (Macropus refugriseus)

We also paid a visit to the Devil Sanctuary at Cradle Mountain. There, we observed Tasmanian Devils (Sarcophilus harrisii) feeding in the evening. Their fur was very dense and they resembled very small bears. Unfortunately, Devil facial tumor disease is afflicting and killing the small Devil population. Hopefully, a cure will be found so that the Devils will not become extinct. For more information on Devils and the facial tumor disease, click here.

Tasmanian Devil (Sarcophilus harrisii)

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