 
                                                                                                    02/10/2025
                                            The Great Cradle Mountain Catwalk
There I was, snug back at the resort, glass of red in hand, cheeks thawing out, when the real evening entertainment began: the endless parade of bewildered walkers returning from their three-hour “spiritual awakening” in the rain.
Some looked like they’d packed for a spring brunch, not an alpine trek. Thin nylon miniskirts clung like damp lettuce leaves. Non-waterproof tops dripped like sad dishcloths. Sneakers squelched with every step. And then—my personal highlight—a proud soul in thongs with socks, striding as though they were on Bondi Beach instead of a freezing Tasmanian boardwalk.
And umbrellas! One gust away from Mary Poppins-ing right off the mountain.
Meanwhile, my “proper” gear still ended up waterlogged, and I’m the one feeling wrecked. Yet there they were, wandering aimlessly, giggling, as if hypothermia were just part of the day’s itinerary.
So I toasted them, baffled but bemused. Maybe Cradle Mountain isn’t a national park at all—maybe it’s just nature’s most exclusive catwalk, where the dress code is: utterly unprepared but fabulous in the rain.
                                         
 
                                                                                                     
                                                                                                     
                                                                                                     
                                                                                                     
                                                                                                     
                                                                                                     
                                                                                                     
                                                                                                     
                                                                                                     
                                                                                                     
                                                                                                     
                                         
   
   
   
   
     
   
   
  