When I first arrived at Pine Valley, deep in the heart of the Cradle Mountain, Lake St Clair National Park and only a short walk from the Overland Track it was Tolkein that came to mind. This, I said to myself, is a forest that a Hobbit could have an adventure in.

Every wilderness traveller has moments of awe when the world just seems to stop and they don't always occur on mountain peaks. In this case I was amongst towering myrtle and Tasmanian endemic celery top, king billy and pencil pines at the bottom of a valley. There was a deep, meandering and gently flowing stream, its banks beautiful cushions of moss. It was the summer, some 20 years ago - and the elation is still with me as I write. After that intial impact I spent 3 or 4 days exploring the surrounding peaks of The Acropolis and The Labyrinth with it's alpine lakes.

There came a time recently when I decided that a trip into Pine valley in the winter was due. That winter trip reinforced the magic I experienced the first time with great, friends, adventures and the beautiful fresh snow. I hope the photos convey something of this. Getting there is not difficult, but it is not a trivial task with some essential preparation required. You need to be reasonably fit and be self reliant enough to carry an overnight backpack for at least a day. It can snow quite heavily in the summer there so you can imagine a winter trip is that much more challenging. If you are planning on walking the Overland Track it is an easy 2 or 3 day side trip to the hut. Otherwise enjoy a trip up Lake St Clair by boat with Lakeside St Clair Wilderness Holidays. So if you ever feel that you wish the world would just stop, Pine Valley is a place it can happen.

Craig Rose