Tasmania
WHETHER YOU’RE A CASUAL RAMBLER OR A DEDICATED BUSHWALKER, THE BEAUTIFUL APPLE ISLE HAS YOU COVERED
STORY KARA MURPHY
Tasmania is a bushwalker’s paradise – but with more than 880 separate walks in national parks, reserves, and conservation areas, the task of choosing which ones to embrace can be exhausting. If you prefer day walks, though, you can’t go wrong by basing yourself in a few of the following locations. Meet a movie star:
If you saw the 2016 film The Light Between Oceans, Stanley, a northwest coastal town nestled beneath a 143m, flat-topped volcanic plug known as the Nut, might seem familiar. Five photographic installations pay homage to the filming; moving between them, past
Stanley
heritage buildings – some dating from the mid1800s – makes for a pleasant stroll.
The town’s most famous amble, though, is up and around the Nut. From the chairlift parking lot, tackle the 20-minute climb up a paved track. From the top continue on a 2.3km circuit path around its windswept plateau. Stay: Cosy up in one of The Stanley Hotel’s inexpensive rooms, or opt for boutique waterfront accommodation at Stanley Village. stanleytasmania.com.au stanley.com.au Go alpine: Cradle Mountain
Arrive at Dove Lake, in the Cradle Mountain section of Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, an hour or more before sunrise and, you might have Cradle Mountain’s jagged contours – and their star-studded reflection – all to yourself.
Another bonus of arriving early is that you have a decent chance of securing a parking space. (If you’re a late riser, stop at the visitor centre, 2km before the park entrance, and use the shuttle bus service, which starts as early as 8am, depending on the season.)
When you’re ready to stretch your legs, set out on the 5.7km Dove Lake circuit. Or, for a more thrilling adventure, aim for Cradle Mountain’s 1545m summit, a 12.8km/6-8hr return walk that takes you past Marion’s Lookout to Cradle Plateau’s alpine world.
Stay: Light someone’s fire in the Cradle Mountain Love Shack, a self-contained timber cabin about 20km east of the park. cradlemountainloveshack.com.au parks.tas.gov.au Soak up local art: Sheffield
With more than 140 murals adorning exterior walls as well as a mural park, Sheffield, in the Kentish district, is the best base for hiking the town’s oft-used source of artistic inspiration: 1234m Mt Roland.
A sign at the O’Neills Rd trailhead, about 14km southwest of Sheffield near Gowrie Park, advises the return walk should take 4-6 hours. However, signs further along the trail give more accurate estimates.
Allow an hour to ascend the gently graded, wide track to O’Neill’s Creek, another hour to tackle a steep, rough, narrower section to the plateau, and a further 1.5 hours of gentle walking and final scrambling to reach the summit. All up, plan on at least six hours return, not including breaks. If the weather is clear, the summit offers 360-degree views.
Stay: Feed alpacas and a sheep named Russell after checking into one of Kentish Hills Retreat’s self-contained motel units, a 400m walk from town. kentishhills.com.au sheffieldtasmania.com.au Colour your world: Freycinet National Park
With pink-hued granite peaks and beaches, ochre lichen-covered rocks, turquoise bays, and strips of sugary sand, Freycinet National Park radiates colourful natural beauty.
Walks here range from the simple but somewhat steep 2.5-hour return trek to Wineglass Bay lookout and down to the bay itself; an 11km circuit that also incorporates Hazards Beach and an undulating stretch along the base of Mt Mayson; and the strenuous, 3hr return trek up Mt Amos. Stay: Coles Bay township, on the park’s edge, has accommodation and services. If you can, though, stay at Freycinet Lodge. freycinetlodge.com.au parks.tas.gov.au Embrace city life: Hobart
Tasmania’s riverfront capital is a charming, manageable base for ascending kunanyi/Mt Wellington, which shelters and dominates the city, as well as walks further afield.
Although you can drive to kunanyi’s 1271m summit, reaching it on foot is far more rewarding. Park at the Upper Springs (elevation 680m) and ascend via the Pinnacle and Zigzag tracks, 2.9km one-way. Stay: In addition to self-contained accommodation and a prime location, just steps from Salamanca Place’s pubs and restaurants, Salamanca Wharf Hotel offers free secure parking for guests. salamancawharfhotel.com greaterhobarttrails.com.au, parks.tas.gov.au discovertasmania.com.au The writer travelled courtesy of Tourism Tasmania