Derwent Bridge Wilderness Hotel

Cradle Country & The West


This large, barn-shaped hotel offers the best eating and the warmest welcome (thanks to possibly the largest fireplace in Tasmania) around Lake St Clair. There are pub staples such as parmigiana and roast, plus curries from the Sri Lankan chef and, if you’ve really hiked up an appetite, the 350g King Billy steak with prawns and scallops ($67).

If the steak renders you immobile, there are plain but comfortable hotel rooms (double $145 to $165, breakfast included), as well as backpacker/bushwalker dorm cabins ($35), which are cold, resemble army barracks and use poorly maintained amenities blocks. Free camping for motorhomes and caravans.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Cradle Country & The West attractions

1. Wall in the Wilderness

1.21 MILES

Wood sculptor Greg Duncan is the genius behind this 100m-wide panorama depicting the history of the Tasmanian highlands, which is presented in a purpose…

2. Tarraleah

15.98 MILES

Located off the Lyell Hwy midway between Hobart and Queenstown, Tarraleah (pronounced 'Tarra-lee-uh'; population 10) is a surreal place. It was built in…

4. Walls of Jerusalem National Park

21.91 MILES

This isolated Central Plateau national park features glacial lakes, gorgeous alpine flora and a ring of peaks (the 'walls') with biblical names. It's a…