Tasmania's natural wilderness
At the edge of civilisation
The Tasmanian wilderness has a presence beyond its boundaries. For around 30 000 years, since the earth's most southerly human inhabitants roamed its shores, it has defied exploitation and defined the shape and character of human occupation. It is the heart and soul of Tasmania.
To know the wilderness exists, excites the imagination. To experience it first-hand, rejuvenates the body and restores the spirit. In its smallest space, it is complete. In its entirety, the Tasmanian wilderness is beyond description. The state's World Heritage Area straddles 1.4 million hectares of wild rivers, mountains, forests and plateaus from Cradle Mountain to South East Cape.
And it is at the doorstep of metropolitan Australia. Within a day, you can leave behind the urgency of the city and answer the call of the wild. From the exhilaration of rafting the rapids of the mighty Franklin River to flights or five-star cruises to the bays of Bathurst Harbour, you can experience the Tasmanian wilderness at your own pace and on your own terms, regardless of your physical ability.
Stay in the comfort of wilderness lodges, in simple huts or under the stars. Tread softly and Tasmania's native wildlife cross your path. Take a guided tour and fish the highlands, or take it a day at a time and make your own way through the state's magnificent national parks, to forests and to stunning ocean beaches.
Drive to the edge of Cradle Mountain Lake St Clair National Park and follow the myriad of trails on the park's outer fringe's for a brief encounter with the wilderness and a lasting impression of its beauty. Or venture further and walk the Overland Track, a 60-kilometre trek through gorges, tarns, mountain peaks and moors, where mind and body follow the wild, incomparable course of nature. Share the experience with a group or set out on a personal trail to adventure. Whatever your experience of the Tasmanian wilderness, the grandeur of one of the world's last great natural wonders will be yours for life. .