Ten best walks and hikes in Tasmania
Elizabeth sojourn, a first glimpse into the wild beauty due to unfold. Your guides will be sure rock formations, fossils and tree leaves of interest do not go unmissed. Back at the standing camp, their attention to detail is transferred to your three courses.
At your off-the-grid standing camp, no luxurious touches have been compromised. After a day in the wilderness, a hot outdoor shower keeps nature close. Head for the communal hut and a long dining table hints at the feasting in store. Not all eating is done here, though. Prepare to enjoy freshly shucked oysters direct from the farmer’s hand and wine straight from the source at Australia’s southern-most vineyard.
Your experience also includes an adventure cruise beneath towering sea cliffs and of course plenty more hiking trails including the wild southern reaches of the island. Delivered back to Hobart, it may feel as if it were a fleeting Bruny dream.
The South Coast Track
Some say it’s the most challenging yet most rewarding walk here. The South Coast Track isn’t for those who want to jaunt off on their first bush walk. This track requires a light plane flight to the start at Melaleuca and is a place where there are no roads or access other than by foot, boat or aircraft. It’s what makes it special.
Go this challenging trek alone or with the trusty guides of Tasmanian Expeditions. It was once a far flung escape route for shipwrecked sailors but today is walked by many as an escape route from modern life. Across nine days, prepare to walk around 10-15 km a day carrying a pack of up to 20 kilos.
As mentioned, this isn’t a walk in the park, but opens up rare and unspoilt wilderness few will ever access. Pristine rivers, rainforests towering above, and even a spare day built into the itinerary for swimming at your own private beach. Your company? Wombat, pademelons, quolls, perhaps rare orange-bellied parrot and south-west silent bliss.
The Tarkine Rainforest Walk
It’s the largest tract of temperate rainforest in the Southern Hemisphere. Some who have walked beneath its towering canopy talk of a spiritual experience. With Tarkine Trails, prepare for comfort in the wilderness on The Tarkine Rainforest Walk.
A Japanese-style washroom, well-appointed sleeping quarters and a central hub complete with roaring fire that transforms into an evening venue of warmth, conversation and great Tasmanian fare.
Days are spent exploring the Tarkine without the need to carry ‘home’ on your back. Experienced guides are at the ready, keen to point out the likes of freshwater crayfish mini-mansions and secrets of the rainforest. Come nightfall, head back to home base where King Island cheese and a local wine, beer or cider drift into a shared meal in the heart of the Tarkine.
Walls of Jerusalem Experience
This experience has more than just one biblical name attached, and some heavenly wilderness to match. The six-day Walls of Jerusalem Experience with Tasmanian Expeditions is an opportunity to experience Tasmania’s highlands and wild camping without the need to lug your full backpack across multiple days.
Accessible only by foot, the experience begins with your trek to Wild Dog, your camp base for this alpine wilderness adventure. Each day, summit options range from Mount Jerusalem and The Temple to Solomons Throne. Those keen to delve further into the ‘The Walls’ area might even walk into the remote reaches of Golden Gate and Zion Vale. Each night return to camp for shared tales and hearty Tasmanian meals.