Gorgeous green moss and trees in the forest near Cradle Mountain and Lake St. Clair in Tasmania, Australia. It is one of six national parks and three reserves within the 3,410,041 acres that make up the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. Tasmania has been called the “Island of Inspiration” and “island at the edge of the world;” the Tasmanian Wilderness is a land of gorgeous contrasts and is one of the last areas of temperate wilderness left in the world. Photo #1 by Jes (mugley)

The photographer noted, “Liffey Falls State Reserve is nestled within cool temperate rainforest on the slopes of the Great Western Tiers. The Liffey Falls State Reserve was included within the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area in 1989, a tribute to the globally significant value of the region. The area reveals a rich human heritage and insights into the forces which shaped the landscape over the past 250 million years.” Wikipedia added, “It is believed that Tasmanian Aborigines used Liffey falls as a meeting place. It has been reported that a significant massacre by European colonists, of up to 60 of the Pallittorre group, took place in 1827 during the Black War.” Photo #2 by ccdoh1

Mossy Antarctic Rainforest along Gordon River, part of the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park located “in the heart of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. It is dissected by the only road to pass through this area. The Gordon and Franklin Rivers were the subject of one of Australia’s largest conservation battles – the battle to save the Gordon River from being dammed for a hydro-electric scheme.” Photo #3 by Arthur Chapman

Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. The photographer explained, “270 degree from The Acropolis looking south and west, then north west to north east. Top: From left to right, Mt Gould, the Labyrinth, Mt Eros, bit of Mt Geryon. Bottom: Mt Geryon, Mount Massif, Mt Ossa (b/g), Falling Mountain (and that’s only the left half of the horizon!).” Photo #4 by Andrew Purdam

Mt Anne capped in a cloud as seen from High Shelf Camp in Southwest National Park, Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. “The park is well known for its pristine wilderness and remoteness. Weather in the park is highly changeable, and can be severe. The area is largely unaffected by humans. Although evidence shows Tasmanian Aborigines have visited the area for at least 25,000 years, and European settlers have made occasional forays into the park area since the 19th century, there has been very little permanent habitation and only minimal impact on the natural environment. Within the area there is only one road” and “the southern and western reaches of the park are far removed from any vehicular access.” Photo #5 by JJ Harrison

Tent at High Shelf Camp, near Mt Anne, which “has a large sub-structure of dolomite, which contains an extensive cave system. This system includes the famous ‘Anna-a-Kananda’ cave – one of the deepest caves in Australia. Several cavers have been killed trying to explore its depths.” Photo #6 by JJ Harrison

Lake Judd from Mt Eliza, Southwest National Park. “Much of Tasmania is still densely forested, with the Southwest National Park and neighboring areas holding some of the last temperate rain forests in the Southern Hemisphere.” Photo #7 by JJ Harrison

Mole Creek Karst National Park is another park inside the Tasmanian Wilderness. Wikipedia states, “It is the only national park in Tasmania created specifically to protect karst landforms. It is part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Site. The national park was declared in 1996 to provide protection for an extensive system of over 300 known caves and sinkholes, including Marakoopa and King Solomons Cave. Marakoopa Cave features two underground streams, glow-worms, large caverns, rim pools, reflections and shawl and flowstone features. King Solomons Cave includes shawls, stalactites and stalagmites.” Photo #8 by Leo Laporte

Waterfall and water flowing through the forest near Frenchman’s Cap, which is “a prominent mountain in the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park, Western Tasmania, Australia. It was once a landmark for ships sailing along the west coast and was also “used as a guiding beacon by many, largely unsuccessful, parties of escaping convicts as they attempted to struggle through the dense scrub of Western Tasmania to the settled districts further east. The walk to the peak along the well marked track typically takes two days.” Photo #9 by Vernon Fowler

Left: Creepy Crawly Track (In the Great Wilderness of Tasmania). Right: Nelson Falls Creek with a 98 ft (30 m) waterfall in Tasmanian wilderness. Photo #10 by Eddy.H & #11 by Eddy.H

Wild, wooded and mountainous, the horizontal Antarctic Rainforest along Gordon River. Tasmania has 19 national parks in total, six of which are part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. These parks offer “visitors a wide choice of opportunities to discover spectacular landscapes, from highlands carved by glaciers to quiet, solitary beaches; from cool, silent rainforests to colorful, alpine wilderness wildflowers. Tasmania’s 19 national parks encompass a diversity of unspoiled habitats and ecosystems which offer refuge to unique, and often ancient, plants and animals found nowhere else on Earth.” Photo #12 by Arthur Chapman

Day 1 rafting Franklin River. In the middle of the 20th century, “adventurous canoers sought to conquer the river’s formidable challenges.” Since then, “rafters and canoers have added names for many of the bends and rapids on the river.” Photo #13 by ToniFish

Day 1: Rafting on the Franklin River. Some of the places named include: Livingstone Cut, The Forceit, Sidewinder, Thunderrush, The Sanctum, The Cauldron, Mousehole, Deliverance Reach, The Biscuit, Rafters Basin, Confluence of Andrew River, Propsting Gorge, Glen Calder, Gaylard Rapids and Pig Trough. Photo #14 by ToniFish

“The Faucet,” Day 5 rafting on Franklin River, Tasmania. Other places named along the river are: Rock Island Bend, Shower Cliff, Newland Cascades, Confluence of Jane River, Flat Island, Blackmans Bend, Double Fall, Big Fall or Devils Hole, Galleon Bluff, Verandah Cliffs, Shingle Island, Pyramid Island and Confluence into Gordon River. Photo #15 by ToniFish

Going down The Faucet, Tasmanian Wilderness. “The entire course of the Gordon River is an uninhabited wilderness area.” Photo #16 by ToniFish

Day 5 of rafting and negotiating in the Tasmanian Wilderness. Photo #17 by ToniFish

Ladies Tarn, Hartz National Park, one of nine national parks in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. Photo #18 by JJ Harrison

Lake on Anne Plataeu, Southwest National Park. “The Tasmanian Wilderness, a network of parks and reserves with steep gorges, underwent severe glaciation. Human remains dating back more than 20,000 years have been found in limestone caves in the area.” Photo #19 by JJ Harrison

Louisa Island and Louisa Bay, Southwest National Park, which is is Tasmania’s largest national park and forms part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. Photo #20 by JJ Harrison

Walls Of Jerusalem is a national park in Tasmania forms part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. It has no road access. Photo #21 by ccdoh1

Lake Ball at Walls Of Jerusalem National Park. It was named for “the geological features of the park which are thought to resemble the walls of the city of Jerusalem in Israel. As a result many places and features within the park also have Biblical references for names, such as Herods Gate, Lake Salome, Solomons Jewels, Damascus Gate, the Pool of Bathesda. The most prominent feature of the park is King Davids Peak.” Photo #22 by Matthias Siegel

South Cape Bay in Southwest National Park; the park was designated a biosphere reserve in 1977. Photo #23 by JJ Harrison

Flying over and climbing Federation Peak in Southwest National Park. This peak has often been “described as one of the hardest Bushwalking challenges in Australia.” Photo #24 by Michael Rawle & #25 by Robert Hutton

Hartnett Falls at Walls of Jerusalem National Park. Photo #26 by Matthias Siegel

Cephissus Falls in the Great Wilderness. The Tasmania Parks and Wildlife site states, “The Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area protects one of the last true wilderness regions on Earth and encompasses a greater range of natural and cultural values than any other region on Earth. It covers over 1.4 million hectares (or about 3.46 million acres) and represents about 1/5 of the area of the island state of Tasmania. It protects vast tracts of high quality wilderness, which harbors a wealth of outstanding natural and cultural heritage.” Photo #27 by Matthias Siegel

The photographer wrote, “This logging coupe is located in Butlers Gorge, in the Upper Derwent and is less than 1km from the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. This forest is part of the core area of 430,000 hectares that was promised protection as part of the Intergovernmental Agreement.” Photo #28 by Ta Ann Truths

Ah, signs of human invasion at the edge of the Tasmanian Wilderness. The photographer wrote, “This logging coupe is located in the Catamaran area, behind Recherche Bay in the far south of Tasmania and borders the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. This forest is part of the core area of 430,000 hectares that was promised protection as part of the Intergovernmental Agreement. Logging commenced in this forest after the Intergovernmental Agreement was announced.” Photo #29 by Ta Ann Truths

From the peak of Mount Wellington in the Wilderness. According to UNESCO, “Surveys and excavations of inland river valleys have located 37 cave sites, all considered to have been occupied between 30,000 and 11,500 years ago on the basis of the finds.” Photo #30 by island home

Scotts Peak in Lake Pedder, seen from Mt Eliza in Southwest National Park. Photo #31 by JJ Harrison

Classic view of Cradle Mountain over Dove Lake, with old boat shed in foreground. HDR from 5 photos. There is a $180 usage fee that applies to Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park “to finance the park ranger organisation, track maintenance, building of new facilities and rental of helicopter transport to remove waste from the toilets at the huts in the park.” Cradle and Lake St Clair share a ‘Twin Parks’ agreement with the World Heritage.” Lake St Clair “was carved out by ice during several glaciations over the last two million years, this is the deepest lake in Australia and the headwaters of the Derwent River, upon which the capital city of Tasmania is located. The area around Lake St Clair offers a wealth of walks, ranging from leisurely strolls to overnight bushwalks, as well as beautiful forests to explore. Lake St Clair is also the end point of the famous Overland Track.” Photo #32 by Stevage

Eucalyptus forest and button grassland hiking path near Cradle Mountain – Lake St. Clair National Park. “The jagged contours of Cradle Mountain epitomize the feel of a wild landscape, while ancient rainforest and alpine heathlands, buttongrass and stands of colorful deciduous beech provide a range of environments to explore. Icy streams cascading out of rugged mountains, stands of ancient pines mirrored in the still waters of glacial lakes and a wealth of wildlife ensure there is always something to captivate you. The area is one of the most popular natural areas in Tasmania. A visit will reveal why.” Photo #33 by J Brew from near Seattle, USA

Enchanted Walk Cradle Mountain. “Cradle is the starting point for the world-famous Overland Track, a magnificent 6 day walk that will take you through the heart of some of the finest mountain terrain.” Photo #34 by Natsume, Ryunosuke

Left: Giant tree along the King Billy walk. Right: Butlers Gorge, Tasmania. Photo #35 by Tindo2 & #36 by Ta Ann Truths

Barn Bluff from Waterfall Valley Overland Track in Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. The Barn Bluff Mountain “is frequently snow covered, sometimes even in summer. This mountain is a major feature of the national park because it is visible from most areas and stands on its own, well away from other peaks. It is a popular venue for bushwalkers and mountain climbers.” Photo #37 by JJ Harrison

Looking down from the climb to Frenchmans Cap at Lake Tahune. Hiking and climbing Frenchmans Cap: The first day of “the walk includes two steep and prolonged ascents separated by the boggy Loddon Plains. The so-called ‘Sodden Loddons’ are almost always muddy and crossing them may take two hours or more. In wet weather the mud can be waist high. In summer it is only knee high. Water is plentiful (and drinkable) in all seasons. Walk time from Lyell Highway to Lake Vera is between six and eight hours.” The second day’s walk is shorter but steeper, yet climbers and hikers are rewarded with a stunning and “dramatic view of the majestic Frenchmans Cap. There are two lakes on the way to the summit – Lake Vera, and Lake Tahune – there are huts at both of these locations. At Tahune, the steep walker’s track to the top of the Cap takes under an hour. If the weather is clear the view includes the West Coast beaches, Lake Burbury and the many peaks – such as Tasmania’s tallest, Mount Ossa – in the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park.” Photo #38 by Vern

Tasmanian Devil at Cradle Mountain. Tassie devils face extinction in the wild due to highly infectious cancer facial tumor disease (DFTD). The devastating Devil disease is “sweeping sweeping through Tasmania’s devil population, killing more than 90% of adults in high density areas and 40-50% in medium-low density areas. Its spine-chilling screeches, black color, and reputed bad-temper, led the early European settlers to call it The Devil.” For over a century, devils were trapped and poisoned. “Although only the size of a small dog, it can sound and look incredibly fierce.” If you’ve never heard one, then you should listen to its eerie call. Tassie is listed as a threatened species and the Tasmanian Tiger, also called the Tasmanian wolf is already extinct; it’s one of the animals that scientists want to resurrect. Photo #39 by Scott MacLeod Liddle

Nelson Falls, within Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park. “These delightful falls are reached after a very easy walk. Along the boardwalk to Nelson Falls you will come across interpretation panels highlighting the ancient plants you see along the way, including at least seven species of fern. Among the forest trees you will discover ancient species that once dominated the Australian landmass, but are now confined to the wetter regions of Tasmania and southeast and eastern mainland Australia. Many of the species of these cool temperate rainforests are only suited to the cool, moist conditions of places such as the Nelson Valley.” Photo #40 by JJ Harrison

Strahan Beach was “once known as ‘Hell’s Gate’,” according to CNN. “The harbor was only seen by the most despised convicts en route to Sarah Island. It later became the scene of a long-running conservation battle, when the Tasmanian government planned a dam before being stymied by the federal government. Now it’s part of a World Heritage Area that encompasses 20 percent of Tasmania. It’s home to 2,000-year-old Huon Pines among the ancient, temperate rainforests. Hundreds of endemic fauna species include the Tasmanian Devil, Eastern Quoll, velvet worms and the 250 million-year-old Mountain Shrimp — one of nature’s first crustaceans.” Photo #41 by Angela Thomas

Lake Pedder sunset at Southwest National Park. The core of this national park was created in 1955. but it was then called Lake Pedder National Park. “Over the following 35 years the park was gradually extended and renamed, finally reaching its present size in 1990.” Lake Pedder was once a natural lake, but the name is now used in an official sense to refer to the much larger artificial impoundment and diversion lake formed when the original lake was expanded by damming in 1972. It’s now considered the largest freshwater lake in Australia. Photo #42 by Matthias Siegel