What is Lake St Clair in Tasmania?
Lake St Clair is a deep glacial lake in central Tasmania, at the southern end of the Overland Track. At about 160 metres deep, it is the deepest lake in Australia.
Glaciers carved the lake basin during past ice ages, gouging a long valley that later filled with water. The lake is about 15 kilometres long and is the source of the Derwent River, which flows to Hobart.
The Palawa name for the lake is leeawuleena, often translated as sleeping water. The lake lies within Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.
Walks and ferry
At Cynthia Bay, the southern end of the lake, a visitor centre, cafe and accommodation welcome walkers finishing the Overland Track. Many hikers take a ferry across the lake to skip the final 17 kilometres of walking.
Short walks lead through forest to Platypus Bay and Shadow Lake, while longer hikes climb Mount Rufus. Platypuses and wallabies are often seen near the shore.
The nearby village of Derwent Bridge is home to The Wall in the Wilderness, a huge carved timber artwork by sculptor Greg Duncan depicting Tasmania's history.
Did You Know?
Lake St Clair's water is so cold that swimming is a brief experience, even in summer.