Lake St Clair

Lake St Clair, called Leeawuleena or sleeping water by the Big River people, fills a valley gouged by successive glaciations over roughly two million years, reaching more than two hundred metres deep, the deepest natural freshwater lake in Australia. It forms the southern end of the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park and the finish of the Overland Track, the six-day walk from Cradle Mountain, with many walkers taking the ferry down the lake to shorten the last day. Day walks from the visitor centre run to Platypus Bay and along the shore, and Mount Rufus and the Overland Track's final section climb from the same point. The area is part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.

What you actually see

• The deep lake - Australia's deepest, filling a glacial valley.
• The Overland Track finish - the southern end of Tasmania's best-known walk.
• The ferry - the boat service down the lake used by walkers and day visitors.
• The shoreline walks - tracks through myrtle and pencil pine forest.

When to go

November to April for the mildest weather and reliable ferry services; snow can fall at any time of year here. Winter is cold, quiet and often beautiful, but tracks may be icy and services reduced.

Honest expectations

Weather changes fast and cold conditions are possible in midsummer. The ferry runs to a limited timetable and books out with Overland Track walkers. Accommodation at Derwent Bridge is limited and there is little else nearby.

Nearby

Derwent Bridge is at the lake's foot; Cradle Mountain lies at the park's northern end.