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Tasmania - Australia

Shortcuts to places on this page	Hobart	Travelling North West From Hobart

	List of National Parks on This Page

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.

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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National Parks Mentioned On This Web Page

Cradle Mountain Lake St Clair National Park
Franklin - Gordon Wild Rivers National Park
Southwest National Park
Walls of Jerusalem National Park

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