Penguin Cradle Trail
Introduction
Work started late 1975 and by 1978 all sections of the track had progressed well. By March 1979 the track was nearing completion to the point where it could be put into operation.
It is a walk of approximately 80kms and offers diversity of appeal and attraction for those seeking a picturesque picnic location to a true wilderness experience.
Features include historical, geological, a variety of forests and flora, exquisite fauna, a canyon, rivers, waterfalls, lakes, mountains and ranges.
To date magazines and authors (John Cannon, John Chapman, Nic Haygarth and Tyron Thomas) have and continue to acknowledge the Penguin Cradle Trail.
NOTICE OF TRACK CHANGES
This information is correct at 16th June 2025.
Proposed 2024 Fuel Reduction Burn Information
There are fuel reduction burns planned for this 2024 season that may affect the PCT on the Black Bluff Range and Speeler Plains. Please consider this possibility when planning your walk. The following website link takes you to the Tas Fire website with information and map. Note: we aren’t informed when these will occur as they are subject to weather conditions on the day.
https://www.fire.tas.gov.au/Show?pageId=colWhatsBurningNow
The intent of the Tas Fire map is to display all planned burns being conducted for the current burning season, where information has been provided to the Tasmania Fire Service. While all efforts have been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information, there may be errors and/or omissions in the data presented.
The Map indicates burns being planned (orange), burning now (red) and partially or fully completed for this season (grey/black, or with a 'p' or 'c'). Note that although the map displays the total operational area for a given burn, only part of the area may actually be treated.
Fuel Reduction burns are only conducted when it is safe and smart to do so. Therefore the schedule of burns may change daily, based on the weather. This helps to ensure that fuel reduction burns remain under control and that the effect of smoke on the community is reduced. NOTE: advised burn delayed ... may happen later in 2025 ... view TFS website for updates.
June 2025 posting - PCT track update
Work done since Dec posting. Purtons Flats to Mt Lorymer, Taylors Flats to creek before the climb towards Black Bluff starts, Wings Wildlife Park at Gunns Plains north towards Mt Lorymer. Track contractors will be working on the Leven Canyon and Belvoir Rd to Taylors Flats later in the year over the 2025 / 2026 summer season. The section at Loongana from the steel bridge to the stile is pretty rough and mostly un-cleared and the foxgloves are spreading.
Dec 2024 posting - PCT track update.
Work done in last couple of months. Lobster Creek Tramway Track cleared and foxgloves sprayed - Foxgloves sprayed Gunns Plains, entry to Wings Wildlife Park - Loongana steel bridge to stile (rough chain saw cut, not cleared and the foxgloves are terrible). Proposed fuel reduction burn on Black Bluff Range delayed till Autumn 2025.
Sept 2024 posting - PCT track update.
Tasmania has been recently hit by several cold fronts in a row. These have brought heavy rains and strong winds with resultant flooding, saturated soils and wind gusts in excess of 100 km per hr across the State. There is extensive tree damage to many areas and it would be very optimistic to think the PCT hasn’t also suffered (pity really as hundreds of hours work had it in good shape to a T3 standard). We are unaware of the current track condition.
If planning a walk, check the weather and allow for delays caused by erosion and fallen timber and expect the un-expected. As always you must be fully prepared to face and meet these challenges and hazards on their own terms.
July 2024 posting - PCT track update. Track work has been carried out over this summer / autumn period with specialized track contractors working on the Cradle Mtn to Belvoir Road and Leven Canyon sections (this has been made possible thanks to a grant from Wildcare), while our volunteer group have carried out working bees on the Lobster Creek Tramway, Mt Lorymer and down to Gunns Plains. Starting from Penguin, the track through the Dial Range down to the Leven River and along the Lobster Ck Tramway Track to Purtons Flats, over Mt Lorymer into Wings Wildlife Park has been mostly cleared from Dec 2023 to July 2024. The Tramway Track section clearing is in preparation for spraying the foxgloves later this year. Leven Canyon section from Gunns Plains over the Northern Gates to the first creek has had many trees removed and track stabilization work done Oct 2022. At the Loongana end from the steel bridge to Griffiths Ridge, chainsaw work to the top of the ridge and track clearing short of the top completed Dec 2022 (there is still track damage near the top). Preliminary tree removal and track stabilization from Gunns Plains to Loongana has been done (this is the hardest section on the PCT). The section from the steel bridge at the Leven Splits to the stile on Loongana Road is uncleared and has numerous obstacles as well as a bad foxglove outbreak. We have had a lot of work to do in other areas that aren’t able to be by-passed so these have taken priority (we currently don’t know how to deal with the foxglove outbreak – suggest you read up on this horrible plant and possibly opt for the unfortunate road walk to Taylors Flats and reduce the risk of spreading the seeds further – NOTE: reports from walkers who have walked the track wished they had used the road instead). Taylors Flats along the river to the base of the Black Bluff climb cleared May 2023 and hopefully again this Spring in preparation for PWS to tackle the foxgloves in an attempt to stop the spread into the conservation area and along the range. The track from Black Bluff to Cradle was good early Oct 2022 (there is a band of scoparia south of Black Bluff) and should still be OK. The reports from walkers from Belvoir Road to Cradle Mtn have commented on the great work done by the contractors. As always, track work is ongoing, there will be tree falls and obstacles, but with nearly 80 Km of track, it will take time. Enjoy the challenge.
WARNINGS and SAFETY
WARNINGS and SAFETY
Volunteers from the North West Walking Club Inc.
(NWWC) and WILDCARE Friends of the Penguin Cradle Trail (PCT) have made and maintained the PCT and prepared the map and notes so that appropriately experienced and equipped bushwalkers can enjoy the scenery and experience of walking the PCT.
The PCT is not regularly inspected or maintained, can be rough underfoot and varies in standard.
It may be that a part of the track has been rerouted and differs from your map edition.
SUITABILITY
SUITABILITY
The PCT is managed as a remote destination for people with experience in bushwalking.
The Dial Range offers good walking all year round and is more suited to beginner bushwalkers and family groups.
The section from Purtons Flats to Cradle Mountain becomes progressively more difficult the further south you travel.
The Leven Canyon section has side streams that are subject to sudden flooding after heavy rains and could result in a delay of up to a day or so.
In this same section there are short lengths of track where people with a fear of heights may have difficulty.
The section between Black Bluff and Cradle Mountain Lodge is mostly at an elevation above 900 m, therefore can be subject to fog, snow and strong winds. The track is well marked with orange triangles, marker poles and some place name signage.
INFRASTRUCTURE
INFRASTRUCTURE
There is no infrastructure on the PCT with the exception of some commercial operators in several locations as indicated in the Route Guide.
Intended bushwalkers will need to buy all provisions before starting the walk.
Penguin has a shopping centre and Post Office. There are limited facilities at Cradle Mountain.
No other crossroads have shopping facilities nearby.
MOBILE PHONES
MOBILE PHONES
Mobile phone reception is available in places along the PCT via the Telstra network only (at the date of this publication).
However, phones or any other electronic device should not be relied on as your only means of communication or navigation.
A WALK WITH VARIETY
A WALK WITH VARIETY
Tasmania has become the bushwalking Mecca of Australia.
Most walkers intent on an extended walk head for the Overland Track through the Cradle Mountain/Lake St Clair National Park.
This has led to the problems of overcrowding and overuse. For those seeking a quieter time and a more challenging bushwalk with different but still beautiful Tasmanian scenery, the North West Walking Club has developed the Penguin Cradle Trail.
The complete walk is over a distance of 76km, and it is recommended that a party allow five to seven days for the trip.
Crossroads provide access at a few points, allowing shorter sections to be explored. The PCT starts at the coast, and takes you though some rural areas and much seemingly untouched open woodland and rainforest.
Combine these with rugged mountain ranges, a canyon with a wild river running through it and some idyllic lakes with vistas of snow capped peaks.
Add waterfalls, ancient conifers, wildflowers and clean water with your lungs ventilated by Tasmania’s standard air quality, the purest in Australia, and you have a bushwalk featuring some of the best experiences available in Tasmania.
Quiet campsites ensure that “million miles from care” feeling.
THE DIAL RANGE
THE DIAL RANGE
The PCT starts just outside the coastal town of Penguin and mostly follows creeks and the Leven River through the Dial Range.
There are occasional crests to provide views. Vegetation alternates between open woodland and rainforest.
Along this section of the Leven River, the water is deep, slow-moving and peaceful.
After a night of rain, the river may rise a metre or so, making it a truly wild river.
Side trips make for spectacular deviations and provide vistas of coast and rolling farmland beyond the range.
A variety of wildflowers such as pink or white epacris can be found along the track on wooded slopes and manferns and batwing ferns line rainforest gullies.
GUNNS PLAINS to LEVEN CANYON
FROM GUNNS PLAINS to LEVEN CANYON
Gunns Plains is a verdant dairy and hop growing area set in a small enclosed valley.
The plains feature an extensive limestone cave system, part of which is developed for public inspection.
South of Gunns Plains, the Leven River takes on a wild character. The PCT narrows as it enters rainforest in the steep leven valley.
The walk follows the course of the river, sometimes along its banks, sometimes rising to provide views of the river. Along the way, there are many tempting waterholes, and a side trip to a waterfall.
The major rise in the track is to pass around the Leven Canyon; it provides excellent views of Black Bluff and the timbered ridge of the Loongana Range.
A short side trip off the PCT allows you to look down into the Leven Canyon itself.
This is one of the spectacles of the walk, a deep chasm carved by the Leven River through the Loongana Range.
BLACK BLUFF AND THE BLACK BLUFF RANGE
BLACK BLUFF AND THE BLACK BLUFF RANGE
South of the canyon, the PCT continues to follow the Leven River, but now it goes past patches of farmland until it reaches the climb up Black Bluff.
The ascent of the bluff heralds a complete change of scenery.
Paddys Lake is set picturesquely under the summit block of the mountain and is edged by Tasmanian conifers.
After the lake, the predominant subalpine heathland is open, allowing for easy walking through seasonal wildflowers such as boronia and richea.
Progressing along the range, panoramic views of the North West Coast slowly disappear as the mountains of the Overland Track come closer.
The view takes in the rugged West Coast Ranges and the Vale of Belvoir.
MOUNT BEECROFT TO CRADLE MOUNTAIN
MOUNT BEECROFT TO CRADLE MOUNTAIN
The final destination has been in view for some time along the Black Bluff Range, but you lose sight of it as the PCT descends from Mt Beecroft.
The PCT once more enters a world of valleys, waterfalls and interesting vegetation.
Groves of pandani are passed, and the way is made through rainforest of myrtle and King Billy pine.
The last section of the PCT is along a well-used track to the Cradle Mountain Lodge.
Wonderful recreation, delights for the eye, peace to sooth a furrowed brow and nourishment for the soul.
What more could anyone desire? Come along and see for yourself.
BROCHURE, ROUTE GUIDE AND MAPS
BROCHURE, ROUTE GUIDE AND MAPS
A 28 page colour brochure with history, warnings and safety, fauna and flora, geology, up-dated route guide and five 1:25000 scale colour maps is available from the WILDCARE shop.
Money from the sales goes back into future track works.
COPIES AVAILABLE FROM THE WILDCARE SHOP: https://wildcaretas.org.au/shop
