Dove Lake, Cradle Mountain (Day 2).

I celebrated my 25th birthday watching the sun rise at Dove Lake, Cradle Mountain. We left while it was still dark, braving the winding, bumpy road to the national park with our high beams on, keeping our eyes wide open for wildlife (of which there were plenty, the little wallabies and possums spooked by our sudden presence).

When we got to Dove Lake it was still pretty dark, and very cold. We stood on the banks of the lake, the tide gently lapping before us, waiting for the sun to show a little more. To our left was another photographer, who looked like he'd probably been there for some time, waiting.

The sun took a long time to come up over the mountains, and the overcast morning meant that it didn't always shine through the clouds, but it was unforgettable nonetheless. Clouds both wispy and thick continually and swiftly covered the all too recognisable tips of Cradle Mountain before hovering elsewhere, making it hard to get a shot of the mountains without cloud cover. I loved the bands of light that streaked across the mountains as the hours passed, and once again the sheer variety of different trees, plants, flowering shrubs and other vegetation didn't cease to amaze me.

We completed the 3 hour Dove Lake circuit in 2.5 hours, a fairly easy walk with lots of flat tracks and wooden boardwalks. I'd highly recommend it if you ever get the chance. We certainly earned our buffet breakfast—after all, we got up at 4:00am to watch the sun rise from here.