Exploring Tasmania's Hidden Gems: Wilderness World Heritage Sites and Sparks of Civilization
In Tasmania, time is preserved in two ways: one is across the ancient wilderness, and the other is through the enduring flames of civilization. From the gentle breezes of the Wilderness World Heritage Site to the ever-present smoke from Aboriginal cooking fires, every step feels like a silent dialogue with the land and with life itself.
【Wilderness World Heritage Site: A Green Paradise in the Southern Hemisphere】 Unfold a map of Tasmania, and a vast expanse of western Tasmania is covered in green—this is the location of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area (TWWHA). This green belt, comprised of multiple national parks and protected areas, covers 1.5 million hectares, equivalent to more than 20% of the state's area, and its international importance is self-evident.
In December 1982, after the Franklin River protection movement successfully prevented the construction of a dam, UNESCO officially inscribed this area on the World Heritage List. In 1989, the heritage area was further expanded. As one of the three remaining cold-temperate wilderness areas in the Southern Hemisphere, this place can be described as "the last pristine place on Earth."
【The Intertwined Imprints of Nature and Civilization】 Of the more than 1,200 World Heritage sites worldwide, only 40 are selected for their dual value in terms of both natural and cultural significance. The Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area is one of Australia's four "dual" heritage sites. It not only preserves globally rare cold-temperate rainforests, but the remains in its limestone caves bear witness to human activity more than 20,000 years ago—for example, the Kutakina Cave on the Franklin River yielded over 250,000 animal bones and 37,000 stone tools in just 0.65 cubic meters of soil, making it one of Australia's richest archaeological sites.
Cold-temperate rainforests form in areas with mild climates and annual rainfall exceeding 1,500 millimeters. This heritage area encompasses seven national parks and numerous protected areas, including Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, Mount Field National Park, Walls of Jerusalem National Park, Mole Creek Karst National Park, Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park, Southwest National Park, and Hartz Mountains National Park.
Several classic multi-day hiking trails, such as the Overland Track and the South Coast Track, traverse this region, allowing visitors to experience the beauty of this World Heritage site without the burden of carrying heavy loads.
【A Spark of Civilization: The Enduring Legacy of Palawa】 Today, cultural experiences owned and operated by Tasmanian Aboriginal people are increasingly prevalent. Visitors have the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of Tasmanian Aboriginal people's connection to their homeland, their stories, knowledge, and rich cultural heritage.
[Listen to the Voice of the Land]
Along the dunes and beaches of Larapuna/Bay of Fires, this land seems to "speak." The undulating dunes are the former dwellings of the Tasmanian Aboriginal Palawa, and the depressions in the ground tell the story of their past lives. For Carleeta Thomas, the lead guide of the Wukalina Walk, these sites are bridges through which he shares his culture and homeland with visitors, a source of pride in deepening his own understanding while passing on this heritage.
The four-day Wukalina Walk will take you up Mount William and along the Larapuna/Bay of Fires coastline to Eddystone Point. At night, visitors can stay in a wooden hut camp built in the style of traditional huts, exploring the deep connection between people and the land.
[Ancient Wisdom on Your Tongue]
In Hobart, female Aboriginal entrepreneur Kitana Mansell is an expert in traditional Palawa cuisine. She founded Palawa Kipli, an Aboriginal food business that aims to bring people together to enjoy traditional Palawa cuisine with a modern twist. In the Tasmanian Aboriginal language, "Palawa" means "Tasmanian Aboriginal," and "Kipli" means "food."
On a 90-minute Kipli Takara jungle trek, you can also find, smell, touch, and taste local jungle ingredients such as Cunnigong and Kunzea along Risdon Cove, and enjoy traditional dishes carefully prepared by Mansell's team.
【A Multi-Dimensional Cultural Journey】 Join Jye Crosswell, founder of Tunapri Patuyala, on a journey along the northwest coast that blends science, nature, and humanity. In the 1.5-hour trip, Jye will guide you along the Patuyala coast to visit traditional tidal fishing posts and settlements, sample the rich array of traditional Palawa foods, and experience seasonal handicrafts. Jye hopes that through the perspective of Tunapri Patuyala, people from different backgrounds can understand this land and work together to create a sustainable future.
[Tracing the Footprints of Cities and Canyons] In Hobart, you can join the Takara Nipaluna Trekking Route, retracing the path of the 40 Indigenous negotiators who marched to the Old Governor's House in 1832 to negotiate and end the "Black War." This was a conflict that began in the 1820s between early European colonists and Tasmanian Aboriginal people. This 90-minute tour, created and led by Palawa and Warlpiri woman Nunami Sculthorpe-Green, traverses Hobart along the coast, telling the city's story from an Indigenous perspective for the first time.
In Launceston, Kooparoona Niara Tours offers a culturally guided tour of Cataract Gorge, led by Greg Murray from Trawlwoolway, aiming to explore the gorge's significance. The half-day Kooparoona Niara Tours includes a visit to the gorge and a trip to another deep valley in Alum Cliffs, visiting the settlements of three major Indigenous tribes.
[Cultural Echoes and Rebirth] In the Ningina Tunapri exhibition at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, a bark canoe built by a Pakana man in 2007 recreates the wisdom and craftsmanship of their ancestors.
The "First Tasmanians" exhibition at the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery in Launceston showcases rare artifacts, presenting Tasmanian Aboriginal insights into climate change, astronomy, technology, and architecture, as well as creation stories passed down to this day.
[An Immortal Spirit] The scars of conflict inflicted on Tasmanian Aboriginal people since European colonization are a poignant and thought-provoking legacy. The Truganini viewpoint, located on The Neck connecting the north and south isthmuses of Bruny Island, was built in honor of Truganini. After Nuenonne's death in 1876, she was mistakenly considered the "last Tasmanian Aboriginal," but in fact, civilization has never been interrupted, and the Tasmanian Aboriginal culture continues to thrive.
Coming to Tasmania is not just about travel, but about stepping into a dialogue spanning millennia, witnessing the sedimentation of civilization throughout history, and feeling the connection between this land and its people.
📷 Photos / © Luke Tscharke, Tayla Gentle, Tourism Tasmania, Popp Hackner Photography, Tourism Australia, Graham Freeman, Matty Eaton, Matthew Donovan, Jillian Mundy, Samuel Shelley, Lola Hubner, Jess Bonde