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JOE O’BRIEN explores Cradle Mountain this week on BACK ROADS

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This week on Back Roads, guest presenter Joe O’Brien taps into his inner Bear Grylls in this Back Roads adventure to Cradle Mountain in the wilds of the Tasmanian Highlands.

Episode 3: Cradle Mountain, Tasmania – Palawa Country

Joe swaps his newsreader’s suit and tie for hiking gear and a backpack, as he takes viewers on a journey to see what it takes to live on the edge of the wilderness in the shadow of the mountains

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Joe’s hike begins in Mole Creek. It may seem quiet down the village’s main street, but just out of town there’s a riot of native critters. This is Devil Country and Joe comes face to face with Mugsy, a teenage Tasmanian Devil with a blood curdling scream. When the Tasmanian Devil was threatened with extinction because of a facial tumour disease, Androo Kelly, owner of the Trowunna Wildlife Sanctuary, created a captive breeding program that helped to ensure the future of the species.

Now, unlike the Tasmanian Tiger, these iconic creatures are still part of the landscape.

Next stop on Joe’s odyssey is Sheffield, the gateway to Cradle Mountain, where Joe meets Mark Beach Ross. Mark’s a devil of another kind: a flamboyant local, with dreadlocks and a top hat.

Mark takes Joe on a tour of his beloved Sheffield to see what saved this town from the fate of many others in rural Australia – murals. They started with one mural in the late 1980s and it just grew from there. Now the town boasts hundreds of murals and has been transformed into an outdoor art gallery.

Many of the murals are of nearby Cradle Mountain, native animals and a mysterious man, Gustav Weindorfer. To find out more about the man in the murals, Joe heads off to the small town of Wilmot for Weindorfer Memorial Day.

At the local hall, the festivities begin with a celebration of the lives of Gustav and his wife Kate Cowle. Joe learns how their love story gave birth to one of the most stunning parks in the world – the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. Joe ventures to the rim of the park to explore their restored chalet.

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Local historian Nic Haygarth tells the story of how Gustav, who was originally from Austria, met local Kate Cowle and how they fell in love with each other and Cradle Mountain. They built Waldheim in the 1920s as a guest house to attract visitors, and they championed for the area to be protected.

Next, it’s Joe’s turn to immerse himself in the National Park and he sets out on a hike around Cradle Mountain. His guide is part man, part machine, legendary food dropper, Wes Moule. Wes carries up to 50 kilos of food to drop off for hikers camping or staying in the huts, that are dotted along the famous Overland Track. The Overland Track is a challenging 65 kms in six days. Joe’s only doing the first day, regarded by many as the hardest part.

Wes shows Joe why this place is so special; the ancient rainforests, breathtaking waterfalls, Cradle Mountain’s Gothic dolerite columns, cuddly wombats and mirror-like glacial lakes.

Wes and Joe make it to a hut just in time, before the Cradle’s treacherous weather closes in. Over a cuppa Joe reflects on how Cradle Mountain’s rugged beauty can bring you to your knees but how it can also fill your soul.
Executive Producer, Louise Turley. Story Producer, Louise Turley

Back Roads Series 8 – Episode 3: Cradle Mountain, Tasmania airs Monday January 17 at 8pm on ABC and iview

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