Tasmanian Wilderness

The Tasmanian Wilderness WHS is huge, covering nearly a quarter of the island of Tasmania. Within the WHS are included seven national parks and multiple other conservation areas. The below reviews concentrate mainly on Cradle Mountain-Lake St Claire National Park, which is deservedly a highlight, but I want to share some more ideas for exploring this WHS, based on my three visits to Tasmania over the years.

Mount Field National Park: The easiest part of this WHS to visit from Hobart is actually Mount Field National Park, less than a 2 hour drive from the centre of Hobart. Compared to the other parks it's not that wild, but we still managed to hear quolls when I camped here as a child and took a wildlife walk after dark. The highlight of the park is Russell Falls, easily accessible on a 25 minute flat walk, and still impressive when I revisited in 2020. There's also the longer 6km Three Falls Circuit walk or drive up to the alpine area. 

Southwest National Park: This huge national park is 6183 km² in size, over twice the size of Luxembourg! And of course it's entirely roadless. The main way to access the park is on the remote South Coast Track. But for a small taste, you can drive 2 hours south of Hobart to Cockle Creek, where there are camping facilities. It's also the starting point of the 16km return walk to South Cape Bay, which I hiked as a kid with …

I visited this WHS in January 2018 and spent 4 days in Tasmania exploring by rental car. Of the 8 national parks/state reserves inscribed, I visited Cradle Mountain/Lake St Clair National Park.

It is quite a drive on very good condition winding roads to get there. The only stretch on the heritage highway is littered with speed cams so make sure to respect the speed limit or you'll have an unwanted souvenir. To avoid some of the queues I paid the national park pass for my car online and printed it beforehand. Upon arrival at the Cradle Mountain NP Visitor Centre (which closes at 4pm) and huge parking lot, I registered and I was given my day tickets. A very efficient hop on hop off shuttle service is offered (which runs till 7pm).

The least popular stop is the one at Snake hill which as the name suggests is the best place to encounter some snakes from the boardwalk. It is worth stopping at the Ranger Station for some information on the park and trails. The UNESCO WHS inscription plaque can be found there but is oddly placed as part of the stone benches - so unknowingly people might be sitting on it! A little walk up the street from here is another metal sign displaying WH status and a quiet trail through small waterfalls which leads to the enchanted walk were we saw rabbits, wombats and lots of parakeets.

The last stop is at Dove Lake were there are …

Because of the limited public transport in Tasmania I travelled around the island by campervan. This enabled me to see remote areas of the Tasmanian Wilderness, especially at night when most of the wildlife is out foraging.

At the Cradle Mountain NP I used the Park's shuttlebuses to reach Dove Lake. Here I saw echidna and wombats, as well as a pair of platypus in the shallows of the lake. In the early morning my van was surrounded by wallabies.

From Strahan I took a boat trip up the Gordon River to see the remining stands of Huon Pine in that area.

At Lake St Clair I took a ferry to Narcissus Bay at the northern end of the lake. Here there was some interesting mountain scenery (though nothing as dramatic as in New Zealand's Southern Alps). Wombats and echidnas were common here too.

In the Southwest NP I visited Lake Pedder and the surrounding mountains.

The only Tasmanian Devils I saw were in a reserve near the Port Arthur Convict Settlement.

The Tasmanian Wilderness WHS occupies a large part of Tasmania. For a day trip from the Tasman capital of Hobart, Lake St. Clair (part of the Cradle Mountain/Lake St. Clair National Park) is the most accessible option. I rented a car and drove out there in 2.5 hours. It's a fine drive through the island's hilly landscape, with plenty of sheep along the road as well as signboards to watch out for kangaroos, wombats or Tasmanian devils.

I arrived at the visitor center at about 11 a.m. There's a 24 AUS dollar entrance fee (per car) that you have to pay there. And you can take your pick among the many walking tracks in the area. I was looking for a hike of about 3 to 4 hours. The one to Shadow Lake fitted nicely, so it seemed. So after having a quick look at the vast Lake St. Claire, I got going. The track is signposted very well. I did not encounter any other travellers, though there were about 10 cars in the car park. You can do hikes that vary in length from half an hour to 5 days, so it will not get crowded easily on a track.

After walking for about 45 minutes on a small path through the forest, I suddenly realized that I was not enjoying it. There were trees, trees and more trees around me. Most of them are Eucalyptus, common in Australia. No colourful birds, no birds at all except …

Cradle Mountain is another world!! stunning scenery and wildlife - does not need to change. we went there in winter and had just missed a snowfall but it was still magestic and magical. everyone should go there for peace of mind and to get away from our hectic lifestyles

An area of spectacular natural beauty. Easily accessable at Cradle Mountain, and Lake St Claire. The Franklin river is amazing and it is scandelous that there was pressue to flood and destroy it in the 1970's. The flooding of Lake Pedder, which is also part of the World heritage area, was an unbelievable act of government anti environment policy

Gorgeous! This must be one of the most beautiful places on the entire planet. The Tasmanians should be very proud of their state. The Overland Track between Cradle Mountain and Lake St. Clair must be one of the finest hikes on Earth. I can't recommend it higher. But, if you do attempt this hike, please be fully prepared. The weather in this part of the world can be absolutely lethal. Oh and also, Tasmania, please STOP THE LOGGING!