Overlandman wrote:
Cradle Mountain Road/Dove Lake Road – road open but use extreme caution.
This one could probably benefit from a bit more clarity, even if it brief before obscurity.
The road is (was?) open, it's considered passable without 4wd.
Iv'e been up there the last two days (and enough times in winter) and would add that it should be kept in mind this alert only applies to the road itself. There may be no place you can get off the road.Those
cars you see coming through may well be passing by Cradle Mt. altogether (not today as the road west of CM is/was(?) closed). Those tyre tracks off the road may well have been a 4wd or AWD.
So many dramas caused by people trying to turn around or pull off onto a verge, the drive wheel looses traction and that's where they stay. On top of that, without forecast or warning,even the main road can quickly turn to 4wd conditions (ie. in the space of a snow shower..).
Most of the accommodation places (and management authorities) have snow plows and will tow but keep in mind that, given the snow and increased visitation is all happening over a short time frame, you may find getting in to accommodation sites or even off into the car-parks can get you stuck or else take some time/effort.. and they all seem hesitant to over-warn potential customers.. walk in and ask for advice? or it's very easy to block the road/ slide into a drift and do some damage. Away from the centres (at CM) think carefully before going anywhere (at all) off the cleared road, especially late in the day.