Arve River at the base of the range and start of the mountain drive to Hartz Mountains NP.

The road up the mountain…

Hartz Mountains National Park has been shaped by ancient glaciers and is on the edge of Tasmania’s remote and rugged south-west wilderness. The park has a high backbone of dolerite and small glacial lakes and cirques across its alpine plateau. This is the walk to the Waratah lookout.

Waratah Lookout on the way up to the plateau.

Lower northern section of the Devils Backbone.

Higher northern section of Devils Backbone.

Arve Falls walking track

Waratah flower in bud.

Waratah seed pods

Cascades on the upper Arve River

The track to the falls.

Upper Falls on the sub-alpine section of the Arve River

The Devils Backbone from the Arve River walk. Cutting grass (Gahnia grandis) is a feature of sub-alpine areas.

Lake Esperance walk

Magic weather up here today – locals told us we were very lucky – this sign trackside was a sobering reminder how conditions can change suddenly even at the end of November.

Harder going at times when the duckboards stop.

Hartz Peak 1255 metres high

Lake Esperance – a glacial lake

Lake Esperance southern shore

Pine trees on the edge of Lake Esperance.

Boardwalk across the tarn shelf with many small lakes.

South Bruny Island from Hartz Mountains.

Mountain eyebright (Euphrasia gibbsiae) grows in alpine heaths among cushionplants.

Snow skink warming up at 14 degrees in the afternoon sun.

Water was seeping out of the ground filling the shallow depressions.

Track to Hartz Peak

Hartz Peak

Another peak in the range.

Boardwalk across the tarn shelf

Richea dracophylla

Lichens

Groves of pandani

The track back

Snow cushionplant (Donatia novae-zelandiae)

Northern section of Hartz Mountains

Looking back to where we have walked from.

Waratah bush at the end of the walk.

Taking care on the drive out of the park.

The road descends back into cool temperate rainforest.

Small roadside waterfall

Clearfelling destruction with a fuel reduction burn from April this year near the edge of the national park.

Back to Geeveston. A few wooden characters are around town. Here is William Geeves who started growing apples here in 1851. I suspect there may have also been some incider trading.

Geeveston Visitor Information Centre and Museum

Geeveston civic pride

Here’s a couple pining for the good old days. Wooden it be good!

Beary good accommodation?

Geeveston Platypus Viewing Platform is on the Kermandie River close to the town centre.

Platypus are reliably seen here.

We Spirited Away to dinner at a good Japanese restaurant in Huonville.