Cradle Mountain ready to welcome visitors again with new centre

One of Tasmania’s top wild attractions is ready to welcome tourists again with the unveiling of a modern new visitor centre — and the fee to walk its most popular track will be halved. PLUS what will happen to your parks pass >>

CRADLE Mountain may not yet be welcoming visitors from outside Tasmania, but it has a new visitor centre ready for the next influx.

Part of the $86.8 million Cradle Mountain Gateway project, it will help the drawcard destination keep up with demand from tourists.

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“With travel now allowed throughout the state, and unlimited accommodation options now permitted, I am sure the community will be keen to see the new visitor centre for themselves, and once again enjoy this iconic location,” Minister Environment and Parks Roger Jaensch said, as he officially opened the centre on Monday.

“The ongoing popularity of the park reaffirms our continued investment in Cradle Mountain to meet growing demand, while retaining the natural and cultural assets and delivering a world-class visitor experience.”

The new Cradle Mountain visitor centre.

The State Government also announced it would extend all annual and two-year parks passes by three months to reflect the time they were closed to the public.

And the fee to walk the Overland Track will be halved between the start of October 1 and December 31.

The new centre and services were designed by Cumulus Architects and built by Fairbrother. It includes a gift shop, cafe, tour operator interface, three shelters, two amenity blocks, a first‑aid room and a space dedicated to those beginning their Overland Track adventure.

The new centre and services were designed by Cumulus Architects and built by Fairbrother.

The development also includes interpretative installations, a car park with space for almost 240 vehicles, a shuttle turning circle, electric car charging stations and 24-hour self‑service fuel bowsers. The opening of the centre comes as the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show the impact of COVID-19, with a 99.76 per cent drop in the number of overseas arrivals and departures in April this year, compared to 2019.

It is not yet clear when Tasmania will again be welcoming tourists from interstate, but TT-Line has started taking tentative bookings on the Bass Strait ferries from Victoria to Devonport from September 1.