Walk On The Wild Side

When it comes to immersive nature experiences, Tasmania’s Western Wilds region offers an exhilarating and otherworldly odyssey that’s hard to beat

- Elizabeth Wilson

The scenery on the way into Corinna, in Tasmania’s north-west, is crazy beautiful. Stretching through the ancient rainforest of the Tarkine wilderness area, the road rollercoasters through an ever-changing landscape. At times, the forest is so dense it’s like driving into a colossal hedge maze. A few twists and bends later, it turns into a valley filled with tree ferns. And then it crests into an alpine scene of rocky outcrops and wildflowers.

The last section of the route is unsealed but it’s not your ordinary dirt road: the local gravel is white quartz, so the road unfurls like a white ribbon – magical! It’s an exhilarating ride and everyone in our car – two adults, two teenagers – is awed by the vastness. “It feels like we’re on another planet,” says our 13-year-old. She’s right. There is something otherworldly about this giant wilderness.

It’s been only a matter of hours since we arrived in Tasmania aboard the Spirit of Tasmania following overnight passage from Melbourne to Devonport. We decided to take the journey by sea so we could travel with our own car, and we quickly appreciate the benefits of having a familiar vehicle on these adventurous roads. The trip from Devonport to Corinna takes about three hours, travelling firstly along the north coast to Burnie then dipping south-west through towns such as Waratah (there’s a waterfall in the centre of town) and the evocatively named Savage River.