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As we'd expected we woke to more rain on Wednesday, but undeterred we drove the couple of hours up to Cradle Mountain (a UNESCO world heritage site) and did a 2 hour hike around Dove Lake. For a few seconds the cloud did clear to expose the top of Cradle Mountain, but overall it was pretty wet and windy (so much for Australia's summer!!!) We were trying hard to spot a platypus in the lake and streams or a wombat in the undergrowth but unfortunately it wasn't to be. The forest around the lake was very enchanting and quite mystical with all the lichen and mist. The only thing weather-wise that we could be grateful for was not being in Queensland after seeing the horrendous news reports of the flooding up near Brisbane. I was also extremely pleased not to be starting the Overland Trail - we saw a couple of groups setting off with their big packs, in their waterproofs and the thought that they would be doing that for 6 or 7 days didn't really appeal! It really feels like the Lake District - mountains, walking and rain, but with different plants and animals! Wednesday's classy accommodation was an unheated, wooden Alpine shack (basically a shed without power) which didn't seem like a great place to spend the afternoon! We went to visit the Tasmanian devils at Devils @ Cradle centre which was really informative and a great way to get close to these adorable, but very threatened animals. As it was still raining and windy we retired to the Cradle Mountain Lodge for hot chocolate in front of the fire… a fantastic decision! When we did venture back to the campsite there was a power cut affecting the whole area (Cradle Mountain Lodge must have had a generator), but everyone at the camp kitchen rallied together and no one went hungry! Despite appearances, the Alpine Shack (after a few beers and some blackcurrant liquor and some cheesy tunes) was very cozy and we both slept really well despite the storm raging outside!
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