Went in 2008, was cold but yes safe
Only had snow then ice on the roads near Cradle Mountain and Mt Wellington
A lot more nocturnal animals than other parts, you'll see a lot more roadkill too
Nightfall came quick, 4-ish can be pretty dark
It's quiet and most other drivers seem to be traveling much fast, familiarity with the roads and bends perhaps
We were mindful when it's close to 3.30 so that would give us some time to reach our accommodation
Plan route and travel distances/times well
Remember taking the wrong turn (missed a signpost) and ended up on a lonely single-pass road leading nowhere
With a cacophony of crickets chirping and cicadas singing, other insects came flying fluttering into our headlights (and smack into the windscreen)
Positively creepy, I quickly pulled the sunroof cover shut, the moon so romantic moments ago seemed sinister now
Worst ever three point turn experience, one side a cliff that fell to dark nothingness; the wife didn't think it was a great idea for me to step out and be the spotter
But it was a great great experience, felt like visiting a lost world
We went without a plan, no accommodation booked, just look at map in the morning and decide where we'd end up for the night
Fantastic winter deals on car rentals and even lodging; check out the websites and such
>50% off when we reached at dusk, possibly because they know they'd have a super slim chance of renting out the leftover rooms for the night