Waldheim Chalet, Cradle Mountain, Tasmania

THE STORY

In 1909, Gustav Weindorfer, an Austrian immigrant, first visited this region and soon after declared, “This must be a national park for the people for all time. It is magnificent, and people must know about it and enjoy it.” He and his wife, Kate, built a chalet named ‘Waldheim’, meaning ‘forest home’, and encouraged visitors to enjoy the area with them. Today, a replica of the chalet can be seen in Cradle Valley near the Ronny Creek carpark. Gustav was one of the first promoters of environmental tourism in Australia. His endorsement of the area is one of the reasons it has been preserved as a national park to this day.

Every time I visit Cradle I go to Waldheim. It offers fantastic photo opportunities, even without snow.