South-West Travel Guide

SRCThe South-West of Tasmania is a Mecca for adventurers around the World. It is an area of virgin wilderness of unsurpassed beauty, with a multitude of magnificent walking, with mystical quartz peaks, breath-taking rainforests and wild rivers. While the Central Highlands offer many of these features, the trails are developed to the point of becoming a highway, with huts every step of the route. The South-West remains as an area where you can still experience weeks of tramping without seeing a soul.

However, such pleasures come at a price. The South-West bears the brunt of the cold fronts that sweep across the Southern Ocean from Antarctica to lash Tasmania with wind and rain. Backpackers must be prepared for sudden weather changes all year round, and always carry adequate clothing and food for extra days out. The inclement weather and untouched nature of the area has other downsides; mud, leeches, cramped or rocky campsites, and dense vegetation that slows forward progress to a crawl. it is no coincidence that Sir Edmund Hillary used the South-West as a training ground for his assault on Mt Everest.

The following pages will be extensively devoted to describing the recreational opportunities of the South-West: walking, climbing, rafting and skiing. Those planning an expedition should browse the other pages on Tasmania for important details like accomodation, purchasing supplies and equipment, public transport and so on. It suffices to say here that the rest of Tasmania provides everything but the inclination to explore the South-West - something that will hopefully be provided by these pages, and you.