Hartz Mountains National Park, Tasmania; February 2007
In February 2007, I visited my friend Katrina in Hobart, Tasmania. She was madly studying for a medical 
exam but she managed to take a day off to play with me and we headed up to hike in Hartz Mountains National Park.
Tasmania is one of my favourite places on the planet. I loved the historic towns and cities with their colonial buildings, seemingly untouched by the modern era. I loved the food – fresh berries, crayfish and oysters. Most of all I loved the landscape, which varies enormously from cool temperate rainforest to the alpine lakes or pristine beaches of the Freycinet Peninsula. Much of Tasmania is true wilderness (unlike the faux wilderness of Scotland!) and I find that very restful.
Hartz Mountains National Park was an hour or two drive from Hobart (I think it took longer because we got a bit lost along the way) and the walk we did to Hartz Peak took us through alpine heath and lakes.
Sadly, outside the national park borders, Tasmania is cutting down its old-growth forests at an alarming rate. Tasmania and Vancouver Island are the only two places in the world with cool temperate rainforest – and the state of Tasmania is turning it into wood chip. I saw logging trucks everywhere we went in Tasmania – and while a timber truck from a Scandinavian plantation might carry 12-15 logs, these trees were so huge that you could often fit just four or five logs on one truck. We are talking about irreplaceable ancient forests with huge old trees, as well as the wildlife that depend on the forest eco-system. It’s a national disgrace!
As I mentioned earlier in the post, Katrina and I got a bit lost on the way to the national park. We drove into the state forest instead. This is what we saw.
One of the things that upsets me most about all this is that the logging industry is not even profitable – it’s sustained by Australian taxpayers through direct and indirect subsidies. I understand that there are jobs in logging, but other industries that could potentially be worth more to Tasmania in the long run are suffering because of the focus on logging. For example, the proposed pulp mill on the Tamar River near Launceston, which will need old-growth logs in order to run at full capacity, will damage fishing and agriculture.
The biggest potential growth area for Tasmania is tourism. Few Australians, let alone international visitors, visit Tasmania. Yet with so much natural beauty and old-fashioned charm, this is surely an opportunity for the taking?
One of the organisations helping fight against the logging is the Wilderness Society of Australia and if you care about this issue I urge you to donate. They are fighting against enormous odds. The main logging company Gunns is extremely powerful and so is the Construction Forestry and Mining Union. Australia has a federal system like the US so state rights are a sacred cow.
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This post is part of Photo Friday, a weekly blogging event hosted by Debbie of DeliciousBaby Journal. Please visit her site to see all the entries this week, or click back to see my previous Photo Friday submissions.
Oh dear, it makes me sad too to see old-growth timber wastefully destroyed – especially when it’s not even a profitable enterprise.
Those are great photos of the park though.
Michelle
p.s. slight correction: Olympic National Park – in WA state – is also a temperate rainforest.
.-= wandermom´s last blog ..My Three Caballeros =-.
That’s interesting about Washington state. Thank you for telling me – I didn’t know that. All the same, cool temperate rainforest is certainly rare compared with tropical, sub-tropical and warm temperate rainforest. -Caitlin.
Beautiful photos. Thanks for sharing this story with us.
.-= Linda´s last blog ..Glen Ullin Roller Mills =-.
I’ve always wanted to go to Tas. I can’t imagine the immense beauty and serenity there. It’s on my list!
.-= Wanderluster´s last blog ..Photo of the Day: Jim Thompson’s House in Bangkok =-.
Crayfish and oysters? I’m there!
Although your crayfish look far larger than the crawdads I’m used to seeing here.
.-= Dominique´s last blog ..Photo Friday: Lake Manganese =-.
I think many countries lack in tourism. It’s amazing with so many people traveling these days, you’d think they would focus more on that sector.
I like the way you fully informed your readers not only about what Tasmania looks like, but the challenges it faces and potential solutions. I agree that tourism, if done responsibly, could be an innovative solution in parts of the world using up the environment for jobs.
.-= Lorraine´s last blog ..Hanauma Bay (or any other crowded place) With Kids! =-.
It is sad to go to a beautiful place and then see it being destroyed. Thanks for sharing the story. I’ll put this on my travel list.
.-= Carolina´s last blog ..The Fuzzy Moments =-.
Australia is one of the places that we really would like to get to.
The loss of old growth is so sad. Hard to believe that clear-cutting is still going on anywhere. I’m not sure but I think that the area around Prince William Sound in Alaska would qualify as a temperate rainforest as well.
.-= Tim Marks´s last blog ..Photo Friday: What a Difference a Day Makes, Signal Hill, St. John’s Newfoundland =-.
Oh.. That’s so sad to see indeed. Thank you for sharing your experience though. I hope that someone from Tasmania will read your blog and work on their tourism more.
.-= Amy @ The Q Family´s last blog ..Back-to-School Weekend Fun at Imagine It! Children Museum =-.
The pictures are just amazing. It seems like a very beautiful place to visit