Tarkine Forest Drive - North West Tasmania

 The Tarkine region's wilderness consists of a cool temperate rainforest, the second largest in the world, covering over 400,000 hectares. 

It was 45 km from our campsite in Stanley to the start of the Tarkine forest loop road. This road is narrow and sealed, but some attractions that branch off from it have unsealed sections that are all in good condition and don't require 4WD.

Overall, I found the day very tiring, especially the drive from one point to the next. The road took many twists and turns, up and down, and some people did not stay on their side of the road. At one stage, we were confronted by a logging truck taking a corner on our side of the road, forcing us to move over into the scrub, but at least he apologised.

Along this loop, the points of interest include Trowutta Arch Milkshake Hills, Lake Chisholm, Julius River Forest Reserve, and Sumac Lookout.

The walk to the Towutta Arch is five hundred metres through a lovely forest, including large trees and giant ferns.

The larger ferns that grow throughout the Trakine can live up to 1000 years. They grow very slowly, from one to ten centimetres per year. They can go to fifteen metres but generally grow between four and a half to five metres.

This unnamed sinkhole was beside the road with a small get-off, so we could film this feature. Fortunately, the wind did not affect it.

It was windy, and unfortunately, the Lake Chisholm Sinkhole, which is probably the size of two football ovals, was affected by this wind. I could only imagine how beautiful this would be, reflecting the surrounding trees on its surface.

It was a lovely walk into Lake Chisholm, with the path surrounded by small ferns. 

 The Arthur River below is seen from the Sumac Lookout.