Just an hour’s drive from Hobart, following the beautiful Derwent River, is one of my favourite places in Australia. Mount Field National Park. It’s the perfect place for a walk – from a leisurely stroll to stunning Russell Falls, to an epic trek around the Tarn Shelf.

Russell Falls

On this icy day, we take the middle ground – a short, but fascinating walk on the Lady Barron Falls circuit, past Russell Falls and through the tall trees walk. It takes about 2.5 hours and there’s a few stairs in there to get your heart rate up – and it’s worth every step.

Fungi fairyland

… a fungi fairyland

It’s amazing what you notice when you really look. All that’s missing here is a couple of fairies flitting around. Wait, what was that?

Oh. It’s EB. He’s found a set of stairs to drag me up, so he’s a bit excited. Only 248 of them (yes, I counted). So much for strolls through fungi fairyland.

Land of the giants

Prepare to be incredulated (is that a word?). The Tasmanian swamp gum is the tallest flowering plant in the world. The tallest recorded in Tassie was 98 metres, so the Mount Field ones are shorties really. 70+ metres short…

Tasmanian swamp gum (Eucalyptus regnans).

As they grow, the lower branches break off, leaving a sleek trunk reaching ever-skyward.  They’re so fascinating I got a sore neck just staring up at them.

Did someone say short?

Forest of the fallen

There’s a strange beauty even in the fallen giants. From the earth they rise, and to the earth they return…

There’s nothing quite like nature to lift you up and bring you down to earth.

Nature’s artwork…

After all that walking, slipping into the Derwent Estate and Stefano Lubiana wineries on the way home is the end to a perfect day. Cheers.