Tarkine Drive

The road

The Tarkine is the largest temperate rainforest in the southern hemisphere outside of South America. The 4WD loop through its northwest section connects Smithton on the Bass Strait coast with Arthur River on the west coast through a landscape that has remained largely unchanged since the Pleistocene. The track enters the myrtle beech rainforest - ancient trees with smooth orange-grey bark, covered in moss and liverwort, their canopy creating permanent dim green light. The open button-grass plains between the forest zones are uniquely Tasmanian - flat, treeless, tawny, with ancient pencil pines on the edges. The Arthur River at the western end is one of the cleanest rivers in the world - the water runs clear over white sand, undistorted by agricultural runoff. There is a single cruise boat on the river operating tours through the rainforest to the ocean. The west coast weather arrives here without interruption from any landmass between Tasmania and Argentina.

The region

The Tarkine is in the far northwest of Tasmania, adjacent to Cradle Mountain to the south and the Bass Strait coast to the north. Smithton is the main service town. Arthur River is a small coastal settlement with a general store and camping. The area has been at the centre of conservation debates for decades - logging of the rainforest perimeter continues on private land.

Before you go

The Tarkine receives very high rainfall - check conditions before travel. The mud on the button-grass plain access tracks becomes impassable after significant rain. Phone coverage is non-existent in the rainforest and very limited from Smithton. Fuel at Smithton only. Expect any weather in any season.

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