Omg- what can I say. Maybe my favourite day so far- and that’s a big statement. But I’ve always loved the forest… and waterfalls… and moss. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

We leave Hobart- our earliest start so far as Mt Wellington was off the itinerary. More driving through impossibly scenic countryside including some snow kissed mountaintops. Wish my eyes could take photos as it’s often impossible to stop when you want to and very difficult to capture what you see while moving.

We head to Mt Field National Park to do our first waterfall walk. And I’m excited.

From the minute we enter the forest, we are ‘frothing’ (as my son Alex would say… meaning frothing at the mouth due to excitement)… the gnarled, fairy-tale mountain forest… the classic, soothing sound of gentle water… beautiful ferns including huge tree ferns, fungi and trees lining the path… the towering Swamp Gums, the world’s tallest flowering plant (just one of the many cool flora and fauna in Tassie!), glittering tannin-stained waters bubbling by your feet, the dripping mosses and lichens of every shade of green under the sun- and moss! Everywhere! I am obsessed with moss… it makes everything feel so alive with the intensity of its green green colour.

Forget Tasmania, it would have to be one of the world’s best short walks. And I haven’t even mentioned the actual falls yet!

Russell Falls… cascading down the rugged mountainside in three tiers and laced with swaying rainforest ferns, this curtain of shimmering water is a photographer’s dream. The symmetry, scale and sheer presence and beauty of this waterfall will stay with you forever. We are overcome with the beauty of creation and drink in the atmospheric scenery.

Next we walk up the many stairs to get to the top of the falls… that looks like just an innocent little stream which you wouldn’t expect to have such a giant and powerful drop at the end. It just does not make sense to me how it can produce enough water for how amazing those falls are, but I guess that is one of nature’s (Gods) little curiosities!

We then continued up many more stairs, and along the path to the gorgeous, tiered cascade waterfall Horseshoe falls. While the actual falls is not as spectacular as Russell Falls, the serenity and aesthetics of its tranquil surrounds with the vibrant green mossy rocks in the foreground make it perhaps even more beautiful.

As we had had an early start without breakfast, we call into the Waterfall cafe hoping to fill our empty tummies but find that the kitchen is not open yet… and we don’t have time to wait. So carrot cake it is and at least the girls can get their coffee fix (and chai for me) and then we are on our way again heading towards the wild west coast.

We pass through Derwent Bridge and as we were ahead of schedule, decide to make an unplanned stop at the Wall in the Wilderness which I had heard fantastic reviews on. It is Australia’s most ambitious art project undertaken in recent years, by creator/designer, Greg Duncan… a fascinating, one of a kind masterpiece, the Wall is an astonishingly realistic hand carved 100 metre stretch of wooden, mostly Huon pine panels. They depict the history of the Central Highlands of Tasmania as far back to when the area was inhabited by the indigenous people and forward through to the stories of pioneers and modern day hydro workers. The detail of each piece of wood that has been so lovingly crafted into a story in a way which brings incredible emotion into the art and to those who view it. It actually made me teary and was a truly fascinating experience, I was only frustrated that no cameras are allowed inside so photos are all from google.

We thought we might finally get some food here… but no such luck as the cafe has not reopened since covid. There was however a selection of lovely Tasmanian wines to enjoy by the toasty warm fire. We weren’t even allowed to take pictures by the fire.

Our next stop is to Nelson Falls, Just out of Queenstown. From the beginning the walk is picturesque, with deep green ferns and ancient trees… with lush, dense rainforest which is typical of region but quite different from the earlier falls we had visited earlier in the day. There is also more moss to feed my obsession. The walk to the waterfall has brilliant ‘education signs’, that challenge you to go back in time, and imagine what the area would have looked like hundreds of thousands of years ago… and explain how the habitat has evolved, and how some of the plants unique to this part of Tasmania are in fact ancient species that have managed to survive due to the cool, temperate climate that the Nelson Valley rainforests require.

After a very windy drive through the mountains, we eventually arrive in Strahan, having basically not eaten all day. It is nearly dinner time and we are all starving, so I call the restaurant where I had booked us months ago on several recommendations, to see if we can bring our booking forward, only to find that they are closed and have been for a while. Apparently there are huge hospitality staffing issues in the area and very little is open. We find the local pub which has a queue and no available tables and start to think that we may be going to bed hungry… but they do eventually get us a table. We enjoy our meals immensely and head home for an early night. It’s been our biggest driving day, covering a lot of ground and tomorrow is another big day. Still so much to look forward to!