Tasmania's Central Highlands boast glorious scenery and dramatic built heritage dating back to the early 19th century. It is the birthplace of Tasmania’s Hydro-Electric power system and home to the best trout fishing in the southern hemisphere. The Central Highlands covers 8,010 sq km, or 12 per cent of Tasmania’s land mass, has a permanent population of over 2,000, many of whom own shacks in the communities around the region’s numerous spectacular lakes and mountains.
Region: Central Hinterland
110 km from Burnie (1 hr 30 mins drive)
82 km from Devonport (1 hr 30 mins drive)
150 km from Devonport (2 hrs 15 mins drive)
Cradle Mountain is a destination many visitors to Tasmania have high on their list. Australia's most recognisable mountain, Cradle Mountain forms the north-western end of Tasmania's Central Highlands. Along with neighbouring Lake St Clair National Park, it is a part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.
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Region: North West Hinterland
96 km from Burnie (1 hr 26 mins drive)
59 km from Devonport (56 mins drive)
The Great Western Tiers are a collection of World Heritage listed mountain bluffs that form the northern edge of the Central Highlands plateau in Tasmania. Here you will find waterfalls, canyons and spectacular mountain vistas.
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86 km from Burnie (1 hr 12 mins. drive)
50 km from Devonport (48 mins drive)
Mount Roland stands at 1234 meters above sea level on the northern edge of the Great Western Tiers region of Tasmania. It provides an imposing backdrop to the Kentish Municipality and for the town of Sheffield. Like many of Tasmania's mountains, at first sight it would appear to be a difficult climb, however a number of well marked bushwalks provide a day's exercise. There are walking tracks from Claude Road and Gowrie Park to the summit.
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The Walls of Jerusalem is a mountainous area in the extensive central plateau of Tasmania which forms part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. As the park is remote and not accessible via road, the Walls retains its wilderness character. The Walls of Jerusalem National Park offers experienced bushwalkers and cross-country skiers the opportunity to pursue their passion within a spectacular mountain region that is little touched by the modern world, and to test their skills against the elements.
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58 km from Launceston (51 mins drive)
80 km from Devonport (1 hr 13 mins drive)
Liffey Falls is a series of four distinct tiered–cascade waterfalls on the Liffey River. The Falls are situated upstream of the town of Liffey, in Meander Valley. The falls commence from the Great Western Tiers at an elevation of 514 metres above sea level and descend in the range of 120–160 metres. Each of the tiered cascades is named in order from upstream to downstream; Alexandra Falls, Hopetoun Falls, The Leap or Spout Falls (also called the Albert Falls), and Victoria Falls.
63 km from Launceston (52 mins drive)
Quamby Bluff is the northernmost peak in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. It provides panoramic views of Northern Tasmania including the Central Plateau and Great Western Tiers. The original inhabitants of the area were the Pallittorre Clan of the northern nation of Aboriginal Tasmanians and lartitickitheker is the Aboriginal name for Quamby Bluff.
The construction of the Waddamana Power Stations marked the beginning of a number of Hydo Electriciry generating schemes powered by the melting snows of Tasmania's Central Highlands. The first of these stations, Waddamana A, now has a new life as a museum filled with original equipment and other displays, including the Control room switchboard from the Shannon Power Station. You can tour through the turbine hall, with hands-on exposure to the mighty Pelton wheel turbines that first began generating electricity over a century ago. The view looking up the penstocks – the steep pipes that transported the water downhill and into the station – is striking, and conjures images of the determined workers who built these in the early 1900s.
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Tasmania's most famous lake is a major attraction of Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park and part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. It is the deepest lake in Australia (190 metres) and the headwaters of the Derwent River, upon which the capital city of Tasmania is located. Lake St Clair is believed to have been scooped out during several glaciations over the past two million years. The area around Lake St Clair offers a wealth of walks, ranging from leisurely strolls to overnight bushwalks, as well as beautiful forests to explore. Lake St Clair is also the end point of the famous Overland Track, a long-distance walk which runs from Cradle Mountain in the north to Cynthia Bay on the southern shore of Lake St Clair.
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Great Lake, one of literally hundreds of lakes in the Central Highlands, has the distinction of being the highest lake in Australia and, until the HEC drowned Lake Pedder, it was also the largest freshwater lake in the country (22km long). It is a mecca for anglers, the trout fishing in Great Lake itself is excellent (as it is in most of the waters in this central highlands region) it is renowned for its summer ‘hatches’ of Highland Dun mayflies and the fat, speckled brown trout that dine greedily upon them. The Great Lake attracts fly-casting visitors from across the country and around the world.
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Travel through the heart of Tasmania’s World Heritage-listed wilderness on this famous 65-kilometre trek from Cradle Mountain to Lake St Clair. Walk the entire Overland Track in six days or do short and day walks from the Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre and Dove Lake. Remember the end-to-end walk requires planning. You’ll need to book in advance with Tasmania’s Parks & Wildlife Service and take with you a good tent and warm sleeping bag. While the route has eight basic stove-heated huts, there’s no guarantee of space. The best time to walk the track is between November and April, when the weather is milder and days are longer for Daylight Saving. During April, you can see the spectacular changing colours of the deciduous beech. As well as a physical challenge, this walk is a true communion with nature. You’ll see lakes, forests and gorges, mountains and moors, spectacular waterfalls and steep, stony peaks.
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The Wall In The Wilderness, situated just outside Derwent Bridge, is Australia's most ambitious art project undertaken in recent years. Creator/designer, Greg Duncan has carved the history of the highlands in 100 metres of timber, most of which will be in our rare Huon Pine. The beautifully carved works set out in relief sculpture depict the history, hardship and perseverance of the people in the Central Highlands and pay homage to the individuals who settled and protected the area.
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A classified historic town, Bothwell is the southern gateway to the central Highlands. In season Bothwell is also known as the gateway to some of the best trout fishing in Australia. Bothwell is the home of Australia's first Aberdeen Angus stud. The town, laid out in 1824, was populated by mainly settlers of Scottish descent and today still has a distinct Scottish flavour. It was here that the famed Irish political exiles John Mitchell and John Martin lived during their stay in Tasmania in the 1850s. Both had been arrested for treasonable writings.html" class="button">More
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Liawenee, to the north of Miena, is known for its great fishing at nearby Great Lake and hosts several fishing events bringing people from all over Tasmania. Built near Great Lake and the River Ouse, the ex-Hydro village is now a residence for Inland Fisheries Services (IFS) and a Tasmania Police station. It is known for its exceptional fishing at nearby Great Lake and hosts several trout fishing events. Liawenee has a reputation of being the coldest town in Tamania.
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The small village of Miena (57 km north of Bothwell), on Highland Lakes Road beside the shores of Great Lake, is the main centre of Tasmania's Lakes District. The town's surrounding landscape consists of mountain peaks and alpine lakes. During winter, snow settles on the shores of the lakes and clear crisp days satisfy those who enjoy feeling close to the environment. The great appeal of Miena is the fishing for which the lakes are famous.
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he village of Waddamana is a former Tasmanian 'hydro-town', located at the foot of the southern side of the Central Plateau. It consists of two decommissioned hydro-electric power stations, one of which is a museum, and several cottages, most of which are only used by guests. Schools often take their students to Waddamana for camps. It has gained a reputation for its harsh weather - it often snows and icing was a problem when the hydro plants were still in use.
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Whitemore is a small rural community in Tasmania's Central North. Its most prominent features are its 1864 brick church, adjacent to the original church building dating from 1857 - now a community hall - and the large workshop and offices of Shaw contracting, the most significant business in the town's history. Whitemore consists of a small cluster of buildings on either side of the only road, surrounded by farming land.
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Though it is a very small dot on the map, and a tiny community in Tasmania's Central Highlands where Lyell Highway crosses the River Derwent, Derwent Bridge is the gateway both to Wild Rivers National Park and Lake St Clair (5 km). You'll find Derwent Bridge on the Lyell Highway at the southern edge of the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, midway between Hobart and Queenstown. It is just south of Lake St Clair and the Lake St Clair visitor centre; and it is north of Lake King William and the Butlers Gorge Power Station.
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A former Hydro town, Poatina is owned by Fusion Australia, a Christian youth and community organization which cares for homeless and unemployed young people in a supportive atmosphere. Set against the beautiful Great Western Tiers, Poatina is known for its charming landscape. The town is the perfect location for fishing, hiking, and other similar outdoor activities because of its geographical location. Activities in and around town include hiking, walking, trekking, cycling, and sightseeing.
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Tarraleah Power Station, located on the Upper Derwent River, was opened in 1938. The nearby township of Tarraleah was originally built in the 1930s by the Hydro Electric Commission to house Tasmania's pioneering hydro electricity officers and management. After a multi-million dollar redevelopment, the former Hydro construction village has become a 120 ha estate that comprises Tarraleah Lodge with accommodation, dining options. Fresh water trout fishing, boating, bushwalking, mountain biking and kayaking are all popular activities in and around the township. Tarraleah is also home to one of the highest altitude golf courses in Australia.
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If you've ever wondered where the geographic centre of the island of Tasmania is, Bronte Park is about as to it as you are going to get by car. North of Bronte Lagoon, an artificial lake in the Central Highlands, Bronte Park is in fact just 3.2km from the centre. This small locality on the Marlborough Highway at the southern edge of the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, is located just north of the Lyell Highway and approximately halfway in between Hobart and Queenstown.
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Tasmania's Central Highlands boast glorious scenery and dramatic built heritage dating back to the early 19th century. It is the birthplace of Tasmania’s Hydro-Electric power system and home to the best trout fishing in the southern hemisphere. The Central Highlands covers 8,010 sq km, or 12 per cent of Tasmania’s land mass, has a permanent population of over 2,000, many of whom own shacks in the communities around the region’s numerous spectacular lakes and mountains.
The Central Plateau Conservation Area is a wild place of sub-alpine moorlands and a myriad of tarns on the northern edge of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. It is in the isolated heart of Tasmania and is un-serviced by the State’s major road network other than the A5 which forms the eastern boundary. Flanked on the east by Great Lake and the west by the Walls of Jerusalem National Park, it is also known as the Land of a Thousand Lakes.
Anglers and bushwalkers are frequent visitors to the Central Plateau Conservation Area and, luckily for them, they have the interior of this vast tract of watery wilderness to themselves. Generally, travellers in Tasmania stay on the main traffic routes - the Great Eastern Drive on the East Coast, the Heritage Highway through the Midlands, or the Western Wilds (A10).
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