Gunns Plains is a rich fertile area dotted with dairy farms, potato growing, poppy growing and beef cattle. In days gone by vegetables were grown here and it was also one of the three major hop producing regions in Tasmania. The Leven River winds slowly through its pastures that support a variety of grazing stock. Agricultural endeavours are also very successful, benefiting from rich red volcanic soil. The town was named after botanist Ronald Campbell Gunn, who visited the valley in 1860.

Where Is it?: 24 km south of Devonport, 12 km north east of Sheffield.



Being approximately 30 kilometres south of Ulverstone in northwest Tasmania, Gunns Plains is easily accessible and a relatively short drive from both Burnie and Devonport. It is an ideal half day destination if you are short of time, however there is plenty to do if you devote a full day or more to explore the area. Camping, accommodation and refreshments are also available nearby.

Gunns Plains Caves are in the Gunns Plains State Reserve. The Reserve overlooks the beautiful Leven Valley farmland and has toilets, a wood barbecue and a shelter hut. A shop at Gunns Plains sells food and petrol.

Gunns Plains Caves

Hidden beneath the picturesque farmland of Gunns Plains is a fascinating world of caves, sinkholes and underground streams. Many beautiful cave formations are present, such as stalactites, stalagmites, helictites and a large array of dazzling flowstone are present in the public section of the cave. The cave is a host to an assortment of wildlife, being inhabited by the endangered Tasmanian Giant Freshwater Crayfish, Platypus, freshwater fish and eels. Glow worms (Arachnocampa) can be consistently found dangling from the ceiling on silk threads. Cave crickets and spiders are also present.

The cave was discovered in 1906 by a local Gunns Plains man, Bill Woodhouse, while hunting for possums. A possum eluded him down a hole which led him directly to the cave. This opening served as the original entrance to the cave and early tourists needed to descend by rope from it, three stories to the cave floor. 54 steps were later constructed from concrete, leading from the natural cave floor to a new entrance cut into the hillside. This steep and narrow staircase still exists in its entirety and remains the only public entrance and exit to the cave.

Interpretive guided tours of the cave are run daily at 10am, 11am, 12pm, 1.30pm, 2.30pm and 3.30pm. Upon entry a steep flight of 54 concrete steps are descended and from this point the pathway is fairly level apart from a short ladder to be climbed down. The tour route through the caves is 275 metres long. Because candlelight and torchlight were troublesome, power and fixture lighting was installed throughout to illuminate the walking track and the cave's unique features.

Wings Wildlife Park

Wings Wildlife Park is a multi-award winning family owned business and displays the largest collection of Tasmanian wildlife in Australia. We're less than a one-hour drive from the Spirit of Tasmania ferry terminal in Devonport. Situated in Gunns Plains, 23 km south of Ulverstone, in the beautiful north-west of Tasmania, on the banks of the Leven River. The Park offers the chance to see some real live Tassie devils up close. The devil feed is at 1300 daily, koala presentation at 1100 and 1430, meerkats at 1130 and 1500 and reptiles at 1400. You can feed the trout and the friendly kangaroos. Other animals you can see at the park include wombats, wallabies, quolls, sugar-gliders, wedge-tail eagles, reptiles, meerkats, marmosets, monkeys, bison, camels and much more.

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Preston Falls

5 km south east via Raymond Road

Preston Falls, also Known as Delaney Falls, is a tall and slender 25m high waterfall which plunges over an alcove into the shady depths of the gorge. It is a short walk down steps to the overlooking platform. Due to the terrain, visibility of the waterfalls can only be seen from the side, from the top of the gorge. For a waterfall of this size, it was also one of the easiest waterfalls to visit in Tasmania. From the car park, the falls are at the end of a short 120 metre track through a pretty blackwood forest.

The land surrounding the waterfalls was owned by a gentleman by the name of William Delaney. The Ulverstone Progress Society from 1905 onwards negotiated with Mr Delaney on ensuring the the falls were kept in its natural state, of which Mr Delaney agreed to. The waterfall was registered with the Nomenclature Board as Delaney Falls (the date of this is unclear), but the waterfall is currently signed as 'Preston Falls'.





LEVEN VALLEY VINEYARD
The vines consist of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The vintages are hand picked by enthusiastic friends, generous Gunns Plains locals and ambitious volunteers. Cellar door only open by appointment please call (03) 6429 1140 to book. Offers facilities for customers to bring their own picnic to enjoy in the winery's garden.
321 Raymond Road, Gunns Plains, 7315.

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Beyond Gunns Plains

Leven Canyon and Black Bluff from the Cruickshanks Lookout

Leven Canyon

30 km south via Loongana Road

Leven Canyon is a little-known tourist destination in Tasmania but well worth seeing. To get there, continue through Nietta and follow the signs to Leven Caynon. The canyon is a 250 metre deep ravine that is part of a wildlife corridor from the coast to Cradle Mountain. The Leven River runs through 300-metre limestone cliffs carved through the Loongana Range, down to Bass Strait. The viewing platform at Cruickshanks Lookout offers spectacular views of Black Bluff, the canyon itself and the surrounding areas. Black Bluff, directly opposite Cruickshank Lookout, is the region's first peak each winter to have a covering of snow, due to its exposure to the prevailing westerlies.

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Silver Falls

Castra Falls Circuit, Nietta

18 km south via South Preston Road

The Castra Falls Circuit near Upper Castra gives access to for waterfalls; Castra Falls, Silver Falls, Step Falls, and Secret Place. It is a grade 4 return hike which should take you approximately 2.5hrs to complete. Castra Falls is the second waterfall on the Castra Circuit. The track is commenced as an easy to moderate walk, progressively becoming more difficult the further you walk. It commences a few kilometres down Gaunts Road which is found on the way to Leven Canyon from Ulverstone.



Kaydale Lodge Gardens

Nietta

35.3 km south via Bass Highway and Castra Road

Nietta is a rural community situated approximately 30km south of Ulverstone. The Wilmot River forms most of the eastern boundary, and the River Leven forms much of the western. The B15 route (Castra Road) enters from the north and terminates at Nietta village. The name was used for a Parish from 1886. Nietta is an Aboriginal word meaning “little brother”.

A visit to Kaydale Lodge Gardens at Nietta is worth including on a trip to the area if you enjoy and appreciate the labours of those blessed with a green thumb. This 2ha garden has been a family obsession for the Crowdens of Nietta since parents Kay and Robert started it in 1979 from a bare paddock around the house Robert built. Using stone from their fields, they built walls and archways while running the cattle and cropping farm, raising their two daughters and establishing a business offering accommodation and meals. A small entry fee applies.