The 40-mile Overland Track in Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park is one of the world’s best walks, traversing grassy moorland, alpine meadows, spiky mountains, glacial lakes, and primitive rainforests. It takes six days (and serious bushwalking gear) to do it right. But if you don’t have that kind of time, you can still get a glimpse of the trail—and Tasmania’s winsome wilderness—by doing the far shorter Platypus Bay walk. It takes about 75 to 90 minutes from the visitor center parking lot and follows the Cuvier River at Watersmeet to the lake. They say if you sit real still, you might spot a platypus sunning its belly near the shore. (That wasn’t in the cards for us.) Before setting out, check in with the park rangers for the latest weather conditions, bushfire closures, and (eep!) snake spottings.

Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, Tasmania, Australia; +61-3-6289-1172.