Van Journal Week 15: The Tarkine

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Von wom87

Our tour through Tasmania was not the most conventional. It was also not the most practical, with many movements back and forth on the whole island due to several visitors, weather changes and a few breakdowns with the camera equipment. Anyway, it was definitely a great journey, and I would still not change anything.

Sometimes it is when you're on the go. Travel routes change and plans fail, but we are not annoyed. In the end, the butterfly effect, the small changes we make, will send the domino stones on a completely new way. Before you know it, they stumbled across something new, met new friends or have had an experience that would not have happened otherwise. People don't really tend to think about how small decisions affect things in the great scheme of things, and it is almost impossible to attribute circumstances to these small decisions. Instead, the human condition unconsciously fixed the negative; The misunderstanding that the original plan had not worked as we had planned.

Life in the present has the effect of reseting this way of thinking. It is about going with the electricity and accepting changes and spontaneity.
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The Tarkine

Finally, it was time for us to drive to Tarkine in Tasmania - the greatest extent of the cool tropical rainforest in Australia and the second largest in the world. Although this incredibly rich landscape is home to a large number of rare, protected and endangered flora and fauna, it was not recognized as a national and global treasure.

The lack of an official designation as a national park led to the target and continued to be threatened. Large parts of the rainforest have already been cut down for wood strikes and mining. But as you may already know, there is a deeply rooted gap in the cultural story that is unique in Tasmania. This has led to a terrible collision at the forefront between activists and wooden fellers, which has existed for decades. As an outsider, it is important to consider the situation from an impartial perspective. I understand that many Tasmanians are dependent on deforestation and mining to feed their families. As it looks today, many rural communities would simply not exist without the industry that keeps them afloat.

However, one thing is certain, regardless of which side of the fence you are on, you have to see that the continued cases and the blinds of this landscape is not sustainable. I am firmly convinced that the answer will be clear as soon as someone has experienced the ancient beauty of the Tarkine himself. Wood strike and infrastructure development are and cannot be the future. But how can these cities survive without them?

I believe that tourism can help fill this gap.

Below is a video of Patagonia that tears the current struggle with which the Tarkine are faced; A planned Tailings Dam of the Chinese mining company MMG.

Exploration of North Tasmania

Before we broke down to the tarkine, we spent a few days to explore some of the waterfalls of Northern Tassie. Below are some highlights with photos.

  • Preston Falls
  • Führer falls
  • Oldaker Falls
  • DIP Falls we also made our way to Leven Canyon to start Monday with a viewpoint at sunrise. So far, this has been one of my favorite viewpoints in Tasmania and it is incredibly accessible.
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Stanley and the nut

Before we came to the famous "Tarkine Drive", we stopped in Stanley to climb "The Nut" for the sunset. This unique geological feature is a main attraction in North Tasmania. They are the remains of an old volcanic peak with a large, flat tip that you can either drive up with a chairlift or circle on foot.

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The Tarkine drive

Finally it was time to go to the tarkine. This region is notoriously wild and there is really not much information online regarding hikes and hiking trails. This is because a large part of it falls into future deforestation or development zones. So we decided to take the "Tarkine Drive" and just go and try to find some beautiful places and hidden jewels where we could.

As is common in Tasmania at this time of year, the weather was not on our side when we decided to make our way to the tarkine. However, we took rain and wind as a blessing that allowed us to experience this wild place in its true element. Here are a few photos of our time when we explored the Tarkine.

We have spent a large part of this week "to inspire it" and essentially only to explore the region, including Arthur River, Pieman River, Sumac and Trowutta. If you read this weekly journal to get inspiration for your trip, I recommend you to go to Trowutta on the "Tarkine Drive". But don't end the adventure there. Take the less busy streets and you will be rewarded with some amazing, unmarked paths away from the excavated paths through the incredibly beautiful rainforest.

Read more: The Tarkine drive-a complete guide

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edge of the world

We finally stayed on the coast to sleep every night. One of the spots was the "Edge of the World", a famous point on the west coast with a great viewpoint. The wind was violent and the waves hit the rocks covered with lichen with malignant intent - a deep memory that we were really on the "edge of the world". If we look directly to the west, our line of sight would extend far into the horizon. If our point of view had no physical limit, we would finally discover a landing on the east coast of Argentina around the globe.
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