This National Park Offers The Best Wildlife Experiences In Australia, According To Bindi Irwin

There are plenty of reasons to visit Tasmania, but the wildlife is almost certainly number one. Australia in general is famous around the world for its incredible wildlife because, as noted by the Australian Wildlife Conservancy, it's one of the planet's few "megadiverse" countries. Some of the most amazing animals in the world make their home only in the small Australian island state of Tasmania, and, according to conservationist and TV star Bindi Irwin, the best place to spot those animals is Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. Irwin told the BBC: "This national park is beautiful any time of year and I swear the air smells sweet. It's so pristine here."

Australia has some of the best spots for island and coastal vacations, but if you're looking for an adventure, you can't go wrong with Tasmania. This Australian national park is a sprawling landscape known for its jagged peaks with a distinctive dip in the middle, towering over deep rippling lakes and rain forests. If you explore this unique landscape, you are in the home of some of the most fascinating wildlife in Australia, from platypuses to Tasmanian devils.

Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park is home to some of the most incredible animals in biodiverse Australia, and if you hike around the park, you will certainly catch sight of at least a few. Adorable wombats, hopping pademelons and wallabies, and tiny spotted quolls make this park their home. You might also get to see Bindi Irwin's favorite Australian animals: echidnas. Bindi Irwin told the BBC: "I absolutely love echidnas. Being monotremes (egg-laying mammals), they are incredibly unique. They waddle around with their spiky bodies and snack on ants and termites."

The most iconic animal that lives in the park is almost certainly the Tasmanian devil. These fascinating creatures are elusive in the wild, but if you hope to catch a glimpse of one on your visit to Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair, you can visit the Tasmanian conservation sanctuary called Devils @ Cradle at the entrance to the park. There, Tasmanian devils (and quolls) are cared for by keepers as a part of conservation efforts that preserve the species, hosting breeding programs, orphan rehabilitation, and releasing them back into the wild.

There's no better way to explore Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park than by hiking it, and according to Bindi Irwin's interview with the BBC, it's also a great way to see Australia's unique animals in their natural habitats. The park has apparently long been a family favorite for the Irwins, as Irwin stated: "We've been visiting my entire life. The hikes here are utterly breathtaking and there are adorable native Aussie animals just waiting to say 'g'day'."

There are short, easy walks that will be incredibly rewarding, allowing you to walk through the grasslands and rainforest of the park. However, the most famous route through Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair is the Overland Track. This hike can be dangerous, but the Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service provides some tips for planning your journey. It takes six days to walk from start to finish and takes you through valleys, through forests of eucalyptus, grasslands, meadows, rainforest, and provides you with the opportunity to see waterfalls and climb Tasmania's tallest mountain.