Teepookana Plateau Connection
Please Note: This tour will be available from mid-Sept 2004.
Take an exhilarating Jet Boat ride from Strahan for a breathtaking perspective of Macquarie Harbour and then see the steep, rainforested gorges of the King River, with spectacular cuttings and bridges of the Abt Railway formation. Disembark at Lower Landing, about 8 km upstream, for a short trip aboard a 4WD vehicle, ascending from the valley floor to the Teepookana Plateau. On an elevated walkway you will meander through a stand of mature Huon Pines, some of which are approaching 2000 years of age. Evidence shows this area has been a habitat for uon Pines since the last Ice Age, 12000 years ago.
The walkway leads to a lofty viewing tower, affording stunning 360 degree
views of surrounding forests and mountain ranges with Macquarie Harbour
and a distant Southern Ocean visible on clear days.A pathway continues
through the forest, passing alongside a wide variety of temporate rainforest
species, to a Piners' Hut, where an insight can be gained into the lives
of the Piners.
The Huon Piners were a tough breed of timbergetters from days gone by, who eked out a living in this harsh but magnificent environment. The old Piners are gone, and the Huon Pine forests are now well protected. However, to supply the valuable wood-craft industry, a small volume of dead or fallen Huon Pine is being salvaged from these forests by Forestry Tasmania. Each salvage area is carefully rehabilitated to ensure Huon PIne will thrive in this area for thousands of years to come. The track circles back to our 4WD vehicle and you take the short trip back downhill to the Jet Boat for some more excitement as we return to Strahan.
Departures leave at 11am daily.
Duration is 1 hr and 40 min. Bookings are essential.
Groups of travellers with a thirst for more have the option of the Air, Sea and Land Crossover, where a Helicopter Ride can be included to provide the ultimate West Coast Experience.
