Franklin River Nature Walk, Tasmania
Australia Hiking Travel Ideas Oceania Tasmania

Australia: Wandering in Tasmania’s Western Wilderness

This was my third visit to Tasmania and this time the target destination was the evocatively named “Western Wilderness”.

Following the Lyell Highway that leads from Derwent Bridge and Lake St Clair up and around the National Park, the first stop was the Franklin Nature Walk.

It’s a mere 25 minute circuit but the forest takes mossiness to a new level and as the path dips down to the river the softly shining rocks, limpid pools and lacy undergrowth are really magical.

Cradle Mountain, Tasmania

Donaghy’s Lookout in the Franklin Gordon Wild Rivers National Park is designated one of Tasmania’s “60 Great Short Walks” and at 40 minutes return reveals the sort of magnificent Tasmania landscape I have long dreamed of seeing.

From button grass plains to the beech-like Myrtle forest punctuated with tall Stringybark eucalypts and permeated with the invigorating scent of the Celery Top Pine, this is a national park at its easily-accessible best in Tasmania. The eucalypts are luxuriantly green with red-gold tips and the views from the top of the Franklin River and across to Frenchman’s Cap are magnificent.

Donaghy's Lookout, Tasmania

The mining around the town of Queenstown is a depressing scar on the landscape and it must be a bit of a downer to live here. I know Tasmania needs jobs and income but does it need them this much? From here we travelled a very windy road to Strahan, a much-vaunted holiday town on the coast. It has some quaint colonial architecture but it was raining and we found only two places open for lunch. The fish and chips at Hamers Hotel looked spectacular but turned out to be rubbery out-of-the-freezer fare.

Queenstown, Tasmania

It was still raining (it rains a lot in the Western Wilderness) so we had to skip the Montezuma Falls walk and head straight for Cradle Mountain. Mountain weather was mountain weather at Cradle Mountain and we didn’t get the views I had hoped for. In fact it was sleeting at one point on a walk.

But I was far from disappointed. The incredibly exotic vegetation and the wildlife spotting opportunities of Cradle Mountain in Tasmania mean that I would return in an instant, even if the weather conditions were exactly the same.

Cradle Mountain, Tasmania

I have to say the set up at Cradle Mountain is impressive – regular shuttle buses keep the traffic to a minimum, all the construction blends into the environment and the staff are friendly and helpful. They have gone crazy building miles of boardwalks but you can see how effective this is in preserving the vegetation so I think it must be worth it.

Cradle Mountain, Tasmania

The final wildlife count was 11 Bennett’s Wallabies, six Wombats, six Tasmanian Devils and four Pademelons. Here’s one of the darling wee Pademelons (they’re like miniature wallabies) in front of the Weindorfer cottage:

Pademelon, Tasmania

Short walks at Cradle Mountain, Tasmania

There are a series of very short walks in the vicinity of the Ranger Station that are well worth exploring. All the different mosses and the strange alpine vegetation make the Enchanted Walk in particular a unique and otherworldly landscape that you’ll only find in Tasmania.

Cradle Mountain, Tasmania

And just at the end of the walk we met this lovely wombat munching away.

Wombat, Tasmania

Longer walks at Cradle Mountain, Tasmania

The Dove Lake circuit walk takes two hours and is probably the one walk you must do if you’ve limited time. Even though the views of the mountains were limited the lake, the forest and the foaming waterfalls make it a very rewarding walk.

Fagus, Cradle Mountain, Tasmania

Unique plants like the exquisite Fagus deciduous beech and the world’s tallest heath plant – the Pandani – were quite enough spectacle. It’s kind of tropical but in an alpine setting and I’ve never seen anything like it.

Padani, Cradle Mountain, Tasmania

We did a handful of low level walks but our ambitions of climbing to the summit of Cradle Mountain or doing anything more exposed were thwarted by the weather. Never mind, I am already plotting a return to walk the Overland Track.

A visit to the devils@cradle sanctuary to learn about Tasmanian Devils and their struggle for survival is also highly recommended but I’ll have to keep that for another post.

The contrast between the Western Wilderness and Tasmania’s East Coast couldn’t be more striking – two uniquely beautiful parts of this most delightful of Australia’s states. I can’t wait to return and explore more.

By Natasha von Geldern

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20 Comments

  1. Tasmania looks amazing….the forest reminds me a bit of New Zealand! Now I finally know what a Pademelon looks like….very cool, great pics!

    • Natasha von Geldern

      The beech forest reminded me very much of New Zealand but then there were these fantastical other plants everywhere. And no wildlife like this in NZ. Ah, they’re both amazing countries 🙂

  2. Great article (^_^)

  3. So beautiful! I’d never heard of padmelons today…I would have guessed they were some sort of fruit! Now I want one – so cute!

    • Natasha von Geldern

      I know, I’d not heard of them until about a month ago and even then it sounded like a made-up animal! They are v sweet.

  4. Tasmania is one of my favourite places in Australia – have only hiked in Cradle Mountain and Freycinet National Park but I’m dying to check out the wild southwest. From what I hear you need to be able to go into the bush there and be completely self-sufficient as it’s mostly untamed. Great post!

    • Natasha von Geldern

      Thanks Andrea, I think I agree, so far Tasmania is my favourite state of Australia. Maybe that’s because it’s a bit like New Zealand but with gum trees 🙂 I’d like to get into the Tarkine next and also the southwest – is that the coastal trek where you get dropped in by plane?

  5. I love Tasmania – it’s one of my favourite states in Australia. So different to the rest of it – the slower pace, the dramatically different scenery. The walk up Cradle Mountain was one of my absolute highlights of my year in Australia. Great post 🙂

  6. Your Tasmania is very inviting- the scenery and walks look fabulous. I’d also not heard of a Pademelon before now. Thanks for the introduction to this interesting looking fellow

  7. I recently met some people from Tasmania. I knew nothing at all about this area, but it seems like an incredible place to travel.

  8. Stunning! Every time I see Tassie, I ask myself why haven’t I been there yet! 🙂

  9. Your photos look amazing! Tasmania is one place I don’t think I will be able to visit on my trip around Australia this year… its too bad but we are short on time

    • Natasha von Geldern

      Tasmania is my favourite state so far, though I haven’t covered as much ground as you guys yet! It is really special and reminds me a lot of New Zealand 🙂

  10. I’ve gone there, i think there are amazing places. Tasmania is one of my favourite places in Australia.

  11. Raymond @ Man On The Lam

    I’ve been to OZ twice but never to Tasmania — I definitely need to get there one day!

  12. Lovely post. You just reminded I me I need to get down there more. The worst thing about Strahahn is that you have to drive through Queenstown

  13. Tasmania looks absolutely stunning! Cradle Mountain reminds me of the scenery around Table Mountain in Cape Town. Some of the pictures in this post are really good too. Nice post Natasha

  14. This is an awesome post. Very informative and well detailed post. I find it really interesting and helpful. Thank you for sharing this!

  15. Love love LOVE Cradle mountain!!! All of Tassie is amazing

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