If you've seen photographs of virgin rainforests, rugged mountains, gorges, weird and wayout rock formations and of crystal clear lakes, then it has to have been the Tasmanian west coast.

Tasmania's West Coast is a wonderful experience for even the most peripetatic of travellers, with its vast expanses of untamed beauty. It is an area deeply steeped in its past with each building and path telling a tale. The West Coast is surrounded by spectacular wilderness tracts with breathtaking landscapes of rainforests, mountain ranges, wild beaches rimmed by the Southern Ocean, the still, dark waters of the awesome Gordon and Franklin Rivers.

Once home to thousands of aborigines, the remains of their stay can be seen in the cave art that dates the earliest inhabitation of this area to around 20,000 years back. Early European settlements brought in the tough  hardened convicts sent to this most brutal of penal settlements, hunters, loggers and prospectors who braved the treacherous seas around to get here in the absence of a road. This region is now a World Heritage Site and major environmental battles have been successfully fought to preserve its wild beauty.

The largest town on Tasmania's west coast is Queenstown, but overall this region of the state is by far the least populated, making it the ideal destination for those seeking beauty and solitude. Queensland owes its origins to the discovery of gold, silver and copper mines in the area. The town developed as a 'frontier mining town' catering to the weary miners from the Mt. Lyell mines. The Gallery Museum and tours of the mine are the main attraction - the bare and barren hills around having been stripped off all vegetation.

Zeehan, named after Abel Tasman's ship is the west coast's boom town built during the hey days of silver mining.

Historic buildings in Zeehan include the Gaiety Museum - the pioneer of its kind in Australia.  Granville Harbour is perfect for those lazy hoildays spent sailing, swimming and fishing.

Strahan is the only town on the western seaboard; it’s a port on Macquarie Harbour and was a booming town in the 1890s. Mining in the area led to it being the most important trade route from the west coast to Hobart. Closure of some of the mines led to its decline. Its still the second most visited place in Tasmania and has a lively harbour side main street. It was an awful place for convicts who'd spend up to 12 hours a day in the forests cutting down the Huon pines. One of the more grisly stories of its penal heritage is the story of Alexander Pierce who after making an escape from Macquarie harbour, took to eating his fellow escapees for lack of food.

Things to see in the area are the Hogarth Falls, the fantastic sunsets at the 33 km Ocean Beach, and the Henty Sand Dunes, which are up to 30 meters high. There's a Seaplane Tour over the gorgeous World Heritage area and demand is high so book in advance. Boat rides and river cruises are aplenty and highly recommended. There's lots of accommodation in Strahan, but in the peak season, it is always wiser to book ahead.

Cradle Mountain- Lake St Clair National Park is the most famous of all Tasmanian national parks. It is wild natural beauty at its grandest. Deep gorges, mountain peaks, lakes and moors all come together to form this World Heritage Area. It is also one of the most glaciated areas in Australia, home to Australia's highest mountain, Mt. Ossa and its deepest natural fresh water lake, the Lake St. Clair. The most famous characteristic of this park is the 8 km bushwalk from Cradle Valley to Cynthia Bay (Lake St. Clair). The track is so popular, that in summer more than 100 people walk this overland path. There are other tracks that diverge from the main one and go to Mt. Ossa and other areas. It takes about 4 or 5 days to walk around the entire park, so carry camping equipment. Though there are unattended log huts for travellers, during the peak season they'll be full. The wild flowers are in full bloom in the summer, but autumn and winter have their own colours and attractions. This walk can be taken in winter as well but only for the well experienced. There are lots of lodges, cabins and motels near the park. Getting around within the park is either by bus, boat or just walk it!

Getting there:  Travelling to the Tasmanian West Coast is fairly easy from either Hobart or Launceston and quick if you are flying. Road access to the west coast is either from Tasmania's northwest coast, or the south on the buses that do the regular runs from both Hobart and Launceston to this area. Coach services run to major towns on the west coast, but for the remote southwestern region, visitors will either need to have a car or join an organised tour.

Accommodation options give the visitor a choice between top class hotels located in the most idyllic of sites, restored inns and classic heritage houses and modern constructions with all mod cons, or regular B&B establishments, hostels or holiday units/cabins and cottages. Some motels and hotels offer 2/3 bedroom apartments with cooking facilities giving you the choice to self cater or eat out. For travellers driving in or for those on a tight budget, camping grounds, hostels and caravan parks are some of the low cost options.

For state and visitor information, see Tasmania.
For country information, see Australia.