Tours
Touring Travel and Sightseeing
Tasmania
- Australia
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Tasmania, located on the
south east tip of
the Australian mainland is a group of over 20 islands, however a little
less than half are inhabited at all, and some of those by only a few
people.
The capital city of Tasmania is Hobart
which has an olde worlde charm
and is steeped in history.
Situated
on the banks of the River Derwent Hobart is a tranquil setting for the
finish of one of the worlds famous international yacht races - The
Sydney to Hobart, which is often beset with mountainous seas and fierce
winds during the voyage.
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It is a
busy city
with a backdrop of mountains and a picturesque harbour
surrounded
by old georgian buildings amidst a relaxed atmosphere.
Its close proximity to the south west coast makes Hobart a
natural
base for explorers of the wilderness areas of the south west, from
several State Reserves to the Southwest
National Park and
the Franklin - Gordon
Wild Rivers
National Park, both of which
are world heritage listed.
Tasmania is the state with the highest rainfall in Australia,
particularly on its west coast.
With most of its population living on the east of the island,
the
west coast is dominated by national parks.
The second largest city in Tasmania is Launceston located in the north
and is often regarded as the starting point for trips into
the
parks on the north west of the island and the national parks of Walls of
Jerusalem National Park
and Cradle Mountain
Lake St Clair
National Park as well as the
Central Plateau Conservation Area.
Travelling
North West
From Hobart
Whilst there are several smaller national parks and state reserves
around Hobart and its suburbs the start of the larger parks is the Southwest
National Park.
This is the largest of the national parks in Tasmania and is home to
the Frankland and Arthur mountain ranges along the remote, uninhabited,
south and western coasts. It is a formation of high peaks
that
decend into deeply forested valleys.
There are few vehicle access tracks in the park and most of its viewing
is done on foot.
A popular destination by vehicle is Strathgordon in the north of the
park and the, close by, Edgar and Scotts Peak dams on the southern end
of Lake Pedder.
Strathgordon is at the end of the Gordon River Road and the dams are on
Scotts Peak road that runs off Gordon River Road.
From Hobart head north west for New Norfolk along the Lyell Highway and
turn off west just before Gretna.
On the southern most point of the Tasmanian mainland, though
still
in the park, is access to Cockle Creek. There was a hive of activity
here in the olden days when it was a busy whaling port as well as
a gold mining and logging area. Head south out of Hobart on
the
Huon Highway.
The Lyell Highway is a pleasant drive north west out of Hobart and will
take you to Queenstown in the west where you can head for Strahan on
the coast.
Along the way is the Derwent Bridge with Lake St Clair to its north and
Lake King William to the south. There is heaps to see and do in this
area, both with conventional and four wheel drive.
Lake St Clair is the deepest lake system in Australia and is a little
under 18 km long. It is an ideal venue for canoeing, kayaking and trout
fishing in season.
Between Derwent Bridge and Queenstown you will travel right accross the
national park along the boundary of Cradle Mountain Lake St Clair and
Franklin - Gordon Wild Rivers National Parks.
At Strahan you can enjoy the magnificent forest drives, bush walks,
various sights to see and even go on a harbour cruise.
The cruise takes you up the Macquarie Harbour and into the
majestic Gordon River. You will pass Sarah Island and its
convict
ruins along the way.
North of Queenstown are access roads off the Murchison Highway into the
western side of Cradle Mountain Lake St Clair National Park.
The park is in the central - west of Tasmania and is a combination of
mountain peaks and valleys. In between are crystal clear
lakes, gullies, rain forests and spectacular waterfalls.
There are many species of animal life to be found in the park including
wallabies, tiger cats and ringtail possums. The Tasmanian Devil is
plentiful but rarely seen whilst there is also a good representaion of
reptiles.
Bird life is plentiful particularly parrots, currawongs and birds of
prey.
Other vehicle access is limited to lake St Clair, which you passed
coming over the Derwent Bridge on your way north from Hobart and the
Cradle Valley in the north of the park.
There are limited 4wd access tracks that can take you a little further
into the park, however, there are extensive walking tracks to enjoy.
From here you can continue up the Murchison Highway to the north coast,
which is well populated with many small towns and villages.
There are several access points into the Arthur Pieman Protected
Conservation area. Vehicle tracks, mainly 4wd, can take you the length
of the area from north to south. A 4x4 trip worth considering is from
Marrawah on the north west coastal tip of the island down through the
park to Sandy Cape.
At Arthur River, just south of Marrawah stop of for a cruise on the
Arthur and Frankland Rivers.
At the southern end of the park is a place called Corinna where you can
go on a cruise up the Pieman River to marvel at the spectacular scenery
and wild life.
Apart from paddling your own way up this is about the only way to fully
appreciate the area. There is no vehicle access
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