As we started looking for our accommodation at Cradle Mountain a little late, we couldn’t get anything that is affordable and comfortable (you will find me using these 2 words rather interchangeably – el cheapo I am not!). So we looked for something further away: Cradle Forest Inn. The Cradle Forest Inn is an 8-suite hotel (as far as I know – not sure if they have more rooms tucked away). It is located in Moina (pronounced Moh-yee-nuh), not far from the Cradle Mountain National Park.
They have a number of rooms available, all costing around A$150 with a free continental breakfast (for the uninitiated, it simply means, coffee/tea with bread and cereals and an assortment of jams and butter).
We chose the “Tassie Devil” suite (we were hoping to catch the Tasmanian Devil in the flesh). As it turned out, the room was rather comfortable. The rooms are all individual chalets, and fairly large inside, it even came with a bathtub, which is rare these days. Anyway, it came complete with a kitchenette (microwave, kettle, fridge, cutlery, cups..). While you can’t cook up a storm, you can certainly make a decent hot meal. It was the tail end of winter, and the room was kept very warm by the efficient heater (a little too warm for me actually, then again, one man’s meat is another man’s poison).
The lounge/reception/cafe/restaurant served up fresh scones and tea while relaxing in a cozy room with a log fire going.
While we didn’t see any Tassie Devils, when we stepped out of the room just after night fall, we could see 3 or 4 wallabies scouring for food in the garden.
In case you’re wondering, Cradle Forest Inn is just about 22 minutes’ drive away from the Cradle Mountain National Park.
I would rate my experience at the Cradle Forest Inn: 4 out of 5 stars. I would have given it 5 stars had they at the very least put up some photos or posters of the Tassie Devil in the room. Instead, I found a photo of a pink robin in the room. Really? Can’t they do better than that? And, horrors, they don’t have wifi!
Cradle Forest Inn is located at: 1422 Cradle Mountain Rd, Moina TAS 7310
