It’s certainly a majestic site to behold from afar but the guides at Cradle Mountain Canyons know this land like no others, taking you off the track for exclusive behind-the-scenes access. They’re the only guides offering canyoning tours anywhere in the state, giving you a unique, personal insight into Tassie’s wilderness. So strap on your wetsuit and helmet for you’ll be launching yourself off waterfalls, abseiling down cliffs and shooting through nature's hidden water-slides. It goes without saying that you’ll require a sense of adventure for this one.

Cradle Mountain Canyons specialises in half- and full-day tours. The Dove Canyon trip (minimum age 15) is for the true adrenaline junkies, comprising a thrilling combination of jumps, slides and abseils buried in a 50-metre deep quartzite canyon. Or there’s The Lost World Canyon tour, which allows you to experience the beauty of Dove River at a more, well, leisurely pace. You’ll journey through quaint quartzite gorges, surrounded by a blanket of button-grass, ancient King Billy pines and, if you’re lucky, wandering wombats. Children aged at least eight are welcome on this tour; it’s recommended for families and those who are out for a fun, refreshing adventure.

The waterfalls are something of a legend here and the best way to explore them is on the Machinery Creek tour. Mammoth falls, soaring cliffs and loads of history are jam-packed into this itinerary. Oh, and let’s not forget about the abseiling. Of the six waterfalls, the biggest to take on is Petrifying Falls, as named by explorer Henry Hellyer in the early 1800s (hint: it’s not hard to discover why). This is a taxing full day and you’ll want to be in fairly tiptop shape.

Rest assured: you’re in safe hands throughout your tour. The guides are all highly trained and skilled and have internationally recognised First Aid, Swiftwater Rescue and Abseiling qualifications. They will provide you with a thorough pre-trip briefing to ensure your trip through the canyon is both safe and fun.

So if you feel like experiencing a well-known Tassie icon from an altogether different perspective, get in touch with the friendly folk at Cradle Mountain Canyons.

NB: Tours operate between November and April. Tours start from $105 for adults and $85 for children aged 8 and over.

Cradle Mountain is a 90 minutes’ drive (88km) southwest of Devonport or 2 hours 15 minutes (153km) west of Launceston.

As the Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation unfolds globally and locally, we are unable to guarantee that the locations featured in this webpage are currently open for visitors. Please contact the individual operators for further information.