Tasmania gets a lot of things right when it comes to camping opportunities, and this free camp at Lake Gairdner is no exception. Despite being pretty popular, it was right up there on our favourite campsites on our lap of Tasmania.
Getting There
Lake Gairdner Free Camping Area is listed on google maps, making directions pretty straight forward. Turn on to Moina Road, off of Cradle Mountain Road, and follow the dirt road down the hill until you get to the lake. Before you cross the bridge, there is an area for camping to the left, right next to the water. It’s not particularly level, but there were a few people squeezed into various spots as we went through. After the bridge, there is a fork in the road. You have to take the right handside track here, which goes down to a flat clearing. The left track goes to private property and there is no room to turn a van around.
As a route to one of Tasmania’s main tourist attractions, the main roads to the camping area are all well kept. But, being on a mountain, they are steep at points. The old Nissan Patrol did not enjoy towing the trailer up some of these hills. I had to pull over where possible and let faster cars (pretty much all of them) go past us a few times.
Camping
The lower area after the bridge offers a large flat area for camping, with a number of spots right along the waters edge. The top picks would be on the stream that runs under the bridge. We were fortunate enough to snag one of those spots, but around still had a great spot with a amazing views.
If you got there at the right time, and managed to get a water side location before the bridge, this would be amazing too.
Aside from being a great camping site in it’s own right, its also the closest camping option available to Cradle Mountain, without staying at the (expensive) Cradle Mountain Discovery Park itself. This makes is a very popular stop for locals and tourists alike. However, even on a Tasmanian long weekend, we were lucky enough to get good spot.
There had been some rain in the days before, which left a number of muddy holes in the ground, but they were easily avoided. The kids had a blast jumping around in them too. Us parents didn’t have as much fun cleaning them up after!
On our visit, we found a lot of bumble bees and european wasps around, so be careful about leaving food out. I had to carefully move a half eaten apple with about 20 wasps on it away from camp.
There are no amenities here, and with all the campsites being next to water, going for natures call, in nature, is not an option. It’s very much a self sufficient camping area (BYO Toilet).
Things to Do at Lake Gairdner Camping Area
On our visit, our main purpose was to have a base to go and visit Cradle Mountain, which is about 30km away. However, it’s such a beautiful location, it holds up on its own.
We saw a platypus splashing around in the water near the bridge, which is a first for us!
I didn’t try my hand at fishing, but there were a couple of people kayaking out on the lake trying. I think, as a fresh water body, you do need a license for this. If you’ve just got a kayak, I must say that looked pretty fun too.
Campfires are allowed, so we took advantage of this. It certainly got cold, so this was welcome!
The photographic opportunities are awesome. The night sky is dark and perfect for trying to capture the stars. It’s something I always struggle with but they came out ok.
Smoke fire gently rising from a log cabin in the distance. Steam rising from a glass like surface of the lake in the morning. Loads of bird life! There are so many great scenes to be photographed here.
For the adventurous or perhaps the silly, swimming is an option. Sani and Ayla braved the freezing cold water, but Ayla was out again very quickly! Sani ensures me it was very refreshing, but I was quite happy to watch from the sidelines!
Would We Visit Again?
Without a doubt. I’m not sure when we’ll have a chance to tour Tasmania again, but this campsite is one of the best free camps we’ve stayed at. I wouldn’t hesitate to stay again if I was in the area. Perhaps when the kids are older and we’re able to do longer hikes at Cradle Mountain. If that were on the cards, I’d be picking Lake Gairdner camping area as our base once more.
Are you planning a visit to Lake Gairdner soon? Drop a comment below.
