There is a huge diversity of natural landscapes, animals and vegetation within the Tasmanian national parks.

The sizes of the parks range in size from the huge Southwest National Park at 608,000 hectares to the smaller Rocky Cape National Park at 3,064 hectares.

The parks are there for the enjoyment of both native Tasmanians and the visitors to the island as well as providing protection and natural habitat to the many endangered species of both birds and animals.

 

Ben Lomond National Park

 

The mountain plateau is in excess of 1300 meters high, approximately 14 kilometres in length and 6 kilometres wide. Legges Tor is a peak plateau and is the second highest point in Tasmania at 1572 metres.

 

Diverse communities of flora and species can be found at Ben Lomand and the park is considered an important place for its conservation.

The largest alpine area in Tasmania, Ben Lomond National Park is a popular area in the winter for snow sports of all kinds.

Cradle Mountain- Lake St Clair National Park

 

Located about 60 km south of Burnie, and part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, Cradle Mountain forms the northern end of the Cradle Mountain - Lake St Clair National Park.

 

This is a truly wild landscape of jagged edges and sharp rugged contours backed by ancient rainforests and alpine heath land. Crystal clear streams gush through the mountain rock and cascade down the mountain towards ancient pine woodland bordering glacial lakes. Wildlife is abundant in this area, ensuring that visitors are never short of the opportunity to see animals in their natural environment.

 

The Cradle Mountain area is one of the most popular wild places in Tasmania and is the starting point for the Overland Track, a magical six day walk over 65 kilometres long and takes you to the centre of the best mountain terrain on the island.  Each year the walk attracts 8-9000 walkers including both native Australians and overseas tourists. A good level of fitness is required to complete the walk and it is highly recommended that the best time to walk the track is December to April when there is longer daylight hours and warmer average temperatures.

Weather conditions can change at a moments notice and can range from high winds to sleet and snow to blazing sunshine all on the same day.

 

At the southern end, and about 50 km south-east of Cradle Mountaint,is Australia’s deepest lake, Lake St Clair.This lake has been carved out of ice during glaciations occurring over the last two million years or so and is the headwaters of the Derwent River which runs through the Tasmanian capital, Hobart.

 

Cynthia Bay on the southern shore of Lake St. Clair is also the end point of the Overland Track, Tasmania’s most famous long distance overland walk.

 

Douglas-Apsley National Park

 

A rich diversity of landscapes can be found here, from its dolerite capped plateau, to deep river gorges and waterfalls cascading into crystal clear pools. There are pockets of rainforest and heathlands together with some of the last large uncleared dry chlorophyll forests in Tasmania. This is an area of rugged beauty rather than perfect rainforest.

It was a mining area for over a hundred years and was criss-crossed with mining tracks from the mid-1800s onwards. Farmers and trappers also used what is now the park area and fires were often set by the latter to encourage new growth and attract wild animals.

 

Hartz Mountains National Park

 

The park covers 17,915 acres, with its highes point being Hartz Peak at 1255 meters and its lowest a the Picton River at 160 meters (525 feet).

 

From Hartz Peak you are able to view some of the south-west wilderness as far as the southern coast, with a fascinating glimpse into a landscape shaped in the last ice age by glaciers.

 

A dolerite range runs through the centre of the park with glacial lakes which speckle the plateau and tumbling waterfalls which cascade from the rocks.

 

The diversity of vegetation here ranges from wet eucalypt and rainforest, to alpine heath near the tops of the mountain ranges.

 

The Kent Group National Park

 

There are six beautiful islands and islets that form The Kent Group, and these constitute Tasmania’s most northerly and most remote national park.

 

The park consists of three main islands, Erith, Dover and Deal. Deal is the largest island with an area of 1,576 hectares out of a total park area of 2,374 hectares.

 

Rich in Aboriginal cultural, the islands and islets have shown evidence of human occupation dating back somewhere between 8,000 and 13,000 years. In 1798, on his way to rescue survivors of the Sydney Cove Wreck, Mathew Flinders became the first European to see the islands.

 

For around 50 years the islands were used for extensive sealing.

In 1848 a lighthouse station was constructed on Deal island and this stood until the end of its working life in 1992.  Since this time the island has been uninhabited.

The islands are an important site for colonies of seabirds and animals such as possums, bandicoots and potoroos. It is also a breeding ground for Australian Fur Seals.

 

 

The whole of the island is national park and covers an area of approximately 11,550 hectares (28,540 acres)

 

There are two main high points on Maria Island, both in the northeast corner, Mount Maria at 2,326 feet and Bishop and Clerk at 1,995 feet.The rest of the island is fairly low lying.

 

In the north of the island is the abandoned township of Darlington, where you can find some beautiful and historic buildings, but there are no permanent residents on Maria Island, apart from a few park rangers and tourists who come and go.

 

Darlington was once a thriving town in the 19th century, with several hundred residents, but the islands fortunes were to be short lived. Cement, produced from stone mined from local quarries, and agriculture, could not compete with producers on the mainland as they had high transport costs.

 

The State bought most of the freehold land on Maria Island and the national park was born.

The vegetation on Maria Island is mainly wild eucalyptus forest or scrub which makes it difficult to explore except where roads and tracks have been cut. There is a rough fire track which runs south from Darlington and cuts across approximately half the length of the island and a few other rough tracks which are loosely suitable for cycling.

 

This beautiful island has many unspoiled beaches with towering  limestone cliffs and, below the water, reefs and caves.

Underwater forests of giant kelp, which can grow 50 to 65 feet, are found in Fossil Bay.

 

Wildlife on the island is rich and diverse and includes echidnas, snakes, wallabies and many varieties of birds. Over the years some wildlife, once found only on the mainland, have been introduced, such as Emus, Kangaroos and Tasmanian Devils. On the western side of the island there is a Marine reserve, and in the Mercury passage there is a shark nursery which is used by School and Gummy Sharks for raising their young.

 

There is a ferry service which runs from Triabunna on the mainland of Tasmania, although sometimes this runs from a wharf near Orford. Any visitor going to Maria Island must be self-sufficient as there are no shops or proper facilities.

Many visitors use the ferry to go to Maria Island just for a day trip.

For the adventurous traveller there are activities such as cycling, fishing, swimming, bird watching, canoeing and  bush walking.

 

Mole Creek Karst National Park

These cave systems are the finest in the State, and probably the most famous are the Marakoopa, King Solomons, Crosesus Cave, Kubla Khan Cave, Marakoopa Cave, Sensation Gorge and Baldocks Cave reserves. The caves began to form more than 30 million years ago when there was substantial volcanic activity in the area.

The Marakoopa and King Solomons Cave systems are both open to the public, and the glow-worm display in the former is the finest you will see in Australia.

 

Mount Field National Park

 

The park has a broad diversity of wildlife and scenic features and offers a huge range of facilities for visitors. Few other national parks in Australia offer such a variety of vegetation, ranging from lofty swamp gum forests and huge tree ferns at the base of the mountain, through rainforest sited along the Lake Dobson Road, to alpine vegetation at the higher levels.

 

The park fundamentally has two distinct visitor sections. The first, near the park entrance, which includes picnic areas and the famous Russell Falls. Stunning trails through huge fern forests and some of the tallest trees in the world can be seen here.

The second  section is centred at Lake Dobson from where you can take long day walks, and there is also skiing areas nearby. The latest snow reports during the ski season are available from the Southern Tasmania Ski Association web site.

Spectacular mountain scenery and alpine plant life are characteristic of the higher regions of the park.

 

The park was much loved by 19th century nature lovers because of its wild innate bush lands, small intimate lakes carved by glaciers throughout the Great Ice Age and cascading waterfalls, such as the superb Russell Falls.

 

Mount William National Park

 

Teeming with wildlife, Mount William National Park is a fascinating place to visit with  wildlife in abundance and plenty to see and do.

 

The park is an valuable region for the protection of Tasmania's coastal heathlands and dry sclerophyll plants.

Fishing  or swimming, bird watching or walking, there's always something more to take in this fascinating place.

Around 380 million years ago granite mountains were formed when the tectonic plates collided and today you can see this where the rock is exposed on the coastline.
Because the granite has a high quartz content, when it is broken down by erosion it forms beautiful pure, white sand and of course, this now forms the spectacular beaches.

 

Narawntapu National Park

 

Narawntapu National Park was formerly known as the Asbestos Range National Park.

It is a peaceful place for both people and wildlife alike stretching from the coastal ranges to the Bass Strait beaches. Contained inside its boundaries is an historic farm, little inlets, tiny islands, wetlands, dunes, headlands and lagoons, all with an astonishing diversity of plants and animals. Small quantities of asbestos, and other minerals, were once mined around the boundaries of the Asbestos Range, hence the earlier name of the park.

 

Many different types of animals graze on the grasslands of the park, thus making it one of the best places in Australia to observe wildlife. Forester kangaroos, the Common Wombat and Bennetts Wallaby are commonplace, and, if you are really lucky, you may even see a Tasmanian Devil.

 

Covering  approximately 10,746 acres and sited just west of the mouth of the River Tamar, Narawntapu is a special place to visit. Wild flowers, open forests, and beautiful beaches are plentiful. 
 

This small park, located on the north coast between Wynyard and Stanley, covers an area of approximately 3,064 hectares (7,572 acres). 

 

The park covers a wildly diverse landscape, from its rugged coastline to its rolling hills formed more 1,200 million to 700 million years ago. Small sheltered beaches can be found, and from the hills above,there are panoramic views over the Bass Strait.

 

There is a rich Aboriginal heritage here, as the area was home to the Aboriginal Rar rer loi he ner band, and much has been learned about their lives from studying the many caves found here.

 

The Rocky Cape lighthouse is worth a visit as it is a great vantage point for spectacular views, but don’t forget to check out the rest of the park.

 

 

 

Located some 233 kilometres  northwest of Hobart, Savage River National Park is the largest wild area of temperate rainforest in Australia.

Created as part of the Regional Forestry Agreement in 1999 to preserve, protect and to allow the natural processes to continue, the park is completely undisturbed.

There is no development or  facilities inside the park.

The park is a remote wilderness and remain very inaccessible.

South Bruny National Park
Bruny Island lies off the southeast coast of Tasmania and at its southern tip, you will find South Bruny National Park. The park includes all of the coastline, and most of the vicinity between Fluted Cape and the southern part of Great Taylors Bay, and has an area of 12,648 acres.

South Bruny National Park was established in 1997, mainly for its wonderful coastal scenery. Much of the coast is made up of very tall cliffs, Muttonbird rookeries, extensive sandy beaches and gardens of kelp seaweed. 

 

In some places the park extends several miles back from the coast, where verdant rainforest may be found containing several widespread plant species unique to Tasmania.

 

South Bruny National Park's popularity as a tourist destination is improved by its coastal heathland, abundant bird life and its importance in Tasmanian history.

There are lots of places for walking, ranging from an easy stroll to the remnants of an old whaling station at Grass point, to more demanding walks to the Labillardiers Peninsula for example.

Bruny Island is really in two parts, North and South Brunny, the being joined by a narrow neck of land.

 

The coast is renowned for towering dolerite cliffs and rocky shorelines, infrequently broken by extensive sandy beaches.

Part of the Tasmanian Wilderness Heritage Area, the Southwest National Park covers a staggering 600,000 hectares of  land, and is the largest park in Tasmania.

 

An awe inspiring, wild and sensitive natural landscape, much of the park is untouched and remote.

 

The park is a visitors paradise and whether you are exploring on foot or in your car, the wild serenity of this beautiful and unspoilt landscape will captivate and beguile you. This piece of wilderness retains the feel of a new and untouched territory ready to be discovered.

 

The Scotts Peak and Gordon River roads snake their way through this landscape of forest occasionally opening out into 'out of this world' views of rocky mountains such as Anne, Saw Back, Frankland and the Western Arthur ranges.

 

On foot or from the comfort of your vehicle you will see some of the most stunning views in Australia.

 

Cockle Creek is the most southerly point in Australia that can be reached by road, and if you wish to,  the park is accessible from here. Walk along the track and you are  able to see fantastic views of the south coast. 

 

If you continue along the South Coast Track, and after seven days walking along some of the wildest coastline in Australia, you will eventually arrive at Melaleuca.

.
This is Tasmania's biggest national park, about 608,000 hectares (1,502,400 acres), and protects the remote southern part of the World Heritage Area. The park is noted for its rare virgin rainforest, tortuous horizontal scrub, and rare stands of Huon pine

 

Located on Flinders Island and covering 4,216 hectares of the south west corner, Strzelecki National Park is the home of rare flora and fauna.

 

Mount Strzelecki (756 metres/2,480 feet) lies to the north of the park. At the southern end, there are craggy granite mountains, including Mount Razorback.

 

This national park is quite special as it is where flora a fauna from both mainland Australia and Tasmania interact.  It is therefore regarded as a place of special biodiversity and is protected as such.

 

Flinders Island is the main island in the Furneaux Group, which consists of 54 islands off the north east coast of Tasmania in the Bass Strait.

 

The land was proclaimed national park in 1967, and given in present name in 1972, in honour of Count Paul Edmund Strzelecki, the Polish explorer and scientist who climbed some of the mountains on Flinders Island in 1842.

 

Tasman National Park
The Tasman National Park was proclaimed under the Regional Forest Agreement (RFA) as recently as 30 April 1999. The RFA identified the area for preservation as national park for a number of reasons, including its high conservation and scenic values.

 

The area of the park is 8,312 hectares (20,780 hectares) and is renowned for its spectacular dolerite organ-pipe formations that ascend 300m (986ft) from the sea. The formations are thought to be Australia's highest sea cliffs.

 

The park  also includes Tasman's Arch, Devil's Kitchen and the Blowhole. The park offers some of the best coastal walks in the country and many fascinating rock formations can be found along the coastline, while the southern end of the park has some of the highest and most spectacular sea cliffs in Australia.

 

Tasman National Park is home to a wide range of land and marine animals, and several species of rare plants.

 

Tasman National Park protects the forests and stunning coastline from Cape Surville to Waterfall Bay and Fortescue Bay; and from Cape Hauy to Cape Pillar and Cape Raoul.

Included in the park are  several off-shore islands, including Fossil Island, Hippolyte Rocks and Tasman Island.

 

It is an area of great magnificence and natural diversity, including some of the most striking coastal scenery anywhere in Australia.

 

This National Park is an area of rich alpine flora set among rugged mountains.

The Park is about 70km south of Ulverstone, but it is not possible to drive into it, and the nearest car park is at altitude 680 metres (2,231 feet).  The foot track into the park then climbs to 1,250 metres (4,100 feet). The area of the park covers about 51,000 hectares (126,024 acres) in total.  There are precipitous mountains in this area that produce a natural amphitheatre for sub-alpine backwoods and ancient pencil pine forests that frame glacial lakes

Part of the Tasmanian World Heritage Area  the park remains remote and is not accessible by  road and therefore to a large extend the Walls retains its essential wilderness character. There are no facilities here  for  visitors and  bushwalkers are asked to be well-equipped and practiced in the harsh Tasmanian surroundings.
 
This region is an alpine wilderness dominated by alpine vegetation and dolerite peaks and is extremely exposed to Tasmania’s sometimes extreme and changeable weather conditions. 

 

Located at the heart of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park is a landscape full of unspoilt rainforest, wild deep rivers and gorges and dramatic peaks.

 

The famous Franklin River runs through the park and is probably best known for Australia’s biggest ever conservation battle to save the area from a proposed hydro-electric power scheme, which would have flooded the river and the surrounding land.

 

Driving  on the Lyell Highway is a sheer pleasure, as for 56 kilometres it winds its way through the centre of the park. There are several short walks and picnic spots along the road and these should not be missed.

 

If driving does not appeal, you can enjoy the beauty of the park by taking a cruise boat trip from the coastal village of Strahan.