Wilmot

On the way to Cradle Mountain, take the slow road via Wilmot and discover a fascinating town.

Quirky Wilmot is home to only 300 residents but it punches above its weight when it comes to attractions. 

Find out why it’s known as the Valley of the Views by stopping at the Wilmot lookout for a panoramic peep at Lake Barrington and beyond to the imposing silhouette of Mount Roland. 

At Wilmot Memorial Hall, see an evocative mural called The Cradle Trail. It commemorates the work of Gustav and Kate Weindorfer, botanists and conservation pioneers whose vision inspired the creation of Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. 

Wilmot is also known for its novelty letterbox trail, which includes about 80 quirky creations including a Dalek and a Tardis, a submarine, a pilot flying a plane, motorbikes and a Tasmanian tiger. 

At Lake Barrington (also the site of a world-standard rowing course), go for a swim or paddle a canoe along its 20km length, set up camp, enjoy a picnic or try hooking a fish. To stretch the legs, set out for Forth Falls, a series of pretty cascades along Forth Falls Creek that leads to Lake Barrington. 

Tiny Wilmot is also part of Australia’s retail history as the place where the Coles supermarket chain began. The original timber store burned down in 2014 but Wilmot Country Store continues as a vital community hub selling fuel, jams, Friday-night pizza and more. 

Where

Wilmot is a 40min drive (40km) south-west of Devonport and a 1hr 40min drive (130km) west of Launceston.

Insider tip 

• Find out more about early pioneering life at the Wilmot Historic Museum housed in a 19th-century school and church.