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Southwest National Park

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The Southwest National Park encompasses over 600 000 ha of wild, inspiring country and forms part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. The Gordon River and Scotts Peak roads wind through forest, scrub and moorland, occassionally opening out onto the breathtaking views of rugged mountains like the Saw Back, Anne, Western Arthur and Frankland ranges. A region of wild rivers and jagged mountain ranges, rolling buttongrass plains and green rainforests, the park encompasses some of the finest wilderness country in Australia.

Beneath the waters of Bathurst Channel lives a range of fascinating marine species, such as sea pens. These animals are usually found in much deeper water. The area is also the sole breeding grounds of the highly endangered orange-bellied parrot. Visitors to Melaleuca can see these beautifully coloured parrots at the Bird Hide.

The town of Melaleuca, Port Davey and Bathurst Harbour are accessible by air or boat only.

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Bathurst Harbour
© Tourism Tasmania and George Apostolidis
Port Davey
© Tourism Tasmania and George Apostolidis
Melaleuca Inlet Bathurst Harbour
© Tourism Tasmania and George Apostolidis
Southwest National Park
© Tourism Tasmania and Tim Dub
Southwest National Park Tasmania ©

Details

Getting There: *The trek From Melaleuca goes along the 66 km Southern Coast Track to Cockle Creek. This walk takes between 5 - 9 days. From Cockle Creek it is an approximately 2 hour drive back to Hobart *A plane drop-off or pick-up at Melaleuca can be arranged. Small planes fly on regular tourist flights from Cambridge Airport, Hobart taking 45 minutes each way. *By boat. No regular tourist trips operate by sea. A water trip can be arranged through tourist flight operators. 1 kayak outfitter leads extended wilderness tours of Bathhurst Harbour, using folding kayaks and departing from Melaleuca
Features: *Ranges. The Arthur Range, South Picton Range, Frankland Range and Ray Range, Mt Rugby, Mt Melaleuca, Mount Anne, Precipitous Bluff, and Federation Peak *Rivers. The Davey River, Franklin, Gordon and the Huon River *Flora. Examples of dense forests of eucalyptus, native sassafras and myrtle, leatherwood ferns, mosses, lichen and temperate rainforest *Islands. The Celery-Top Islands *Birdlife. Rosellas, honeyeaters, native wrens and robins, thornbills and currawongs, and the endangered orange-bellied parrot can all be found here

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Location

Entrance via Maydena
Geeveston TAS

Getting There*The trek From Melaleuca goes along the 66 km Southern Coast Track to Cockle Creek. This walk takes between 5 - 9 days. From Cockle Creek it is an approximately 2 hour drive back to Hobart *A plane drop-off or pick-up at Melaleuca can be arranged. Small planes fly on regular tourist flights from Cambridge Airport, Hobart taking 45 minutes each way. *By boat. No regular tourist trips operate by sea. A water trip can be arranged through tourist flight operators. 1 kayak outfitter leads extended wilderness tours of Bathhurst Harbour, using folding kayaks and departing from Melaleuca