Introduction
The blue-back ridges of the Western Tiers mark the edge of the ‘Lake
Country’ - the largest alpine habitat in Australia - and source of the
rivers which feed the farming communities below. Restored cottage
stores and country inns which served passers-by a century ago extend their
hospitality to travellers of today. Spend a day ambling through the
rural hamlets of the Meander Valley for antiques and crafts and Devonshire
teas. Buy cheese from one of the local dairies and learn how it is
made. Visit the steam museum at Westbury and walk among Tasmania’s
early locomotives then follow the twists and turns of the maze, in the
centre of the village. Further west, the historic township of Deloraine
is home to Tasmania’s biggest crafts festival and the magnificent Yarns
silk artwork. Fine examples of the district’s colonial heritage have
been restored and converted to galleries, delightful accommodation and
antique stores. Flour mills, breweries, churches, hotels, rows of
shops and grand country homes are among the 36 buildings registered on
the National Estate. Top
In Search of Wild Tasmanian Trout
Buy
a licence and head by foot or car or four-wheel drive safari into one of
the 40 major lake fisheries or hundreds of creeks, tarns or highland rivers
and cast a line for a wild Tasmanian trout. The alpine plateau between
Lake St Clair and the Western Tiers contains more than 3 000 lakes in an
area of about 40 kilometres by 15 kilometres, and offers a range of walks
and some of the best trout fishing in the world. Take an overnight
walk to the five peaks of the Walls of Jerusalem National Park which surround
ancient pencil pine forests and glacial lakes. Top
Leave The Road and Follow The Forest Trails
In the shadow of the Western Tiers and a treasure among reserves, the
Meander Forest Reserve in the World Heritage Area offers a range of half
to full-day bushwalks and secluded picnic spots. Follow the network
of paths through the forests past waterfalls, cliffs and sandstone overhangs,
popular with climbers. In the Liffey Forest Reserve, also part of
the World Heritage Area, a comfortable 40-minute return walk through wet
eucalypt forest along the Liffey River will take you to a series of three
of the state’s most beautiful falls. For a longer, quieter walk,
continue on to the Gulf Road picnic area - about three hours return.
Top
Walk into an Underground Wilderness
Beneath
the lush farmlands of Mole Creek lies a fragile, subterranean wilderness
- 200 caves from tiny chambers to huge cathedral spaces up to 10 kilometres
in width. Take a guided tour into the spectacular King Solomon and
Marakoopa Caves near Deloraine - easily accessible and among the finest
in Australia. Or be more adventurous and switch on your headlamp
for an incomparable wild caves tour. Top
Wallabies, Wombats and Wildlife
Visit
the wildlife park at Mole Creek to see Tasmanian wildlife at close range.
Stand within a whisker of Tasmanian devils, wallabies, wombats and native
birds and animals you’ve spotted before from a distance. Top
