Top 20 Travel Destinations: Lake St Clair National Park Waldheim Chalet on Cradle Mountain.

Gustav and Kate Weindorfer are partly responsible for Lake St Clair’s status as a national park. After the couple moved to Tasmania and married in 1906, Gustav saw Cradle Mountain on their honeymoon.

They visited shortly afterwards and Kate Weindorfer became the first white woman to climb the mountain. When they got to the summit, Gustav declared that the area should be a national park for all people to enjoy. He decided to build a chalet and get a road to the forest.

The chalet opened in 1912 for visitors. It was called Waldheim which means “forest home.” It was still used right up until 1974 when a fire destroyed it.

After, a replica was built using the original carpentry. Now, it is a museum where you can find displays and information about the first guests at Cradle Mountain and how Lake St Clair became a national park.

This spot not only is a great source of information, but it is also a small refuge in the park. There are now new bunk style Waldheim cabins located just behind the chalet.