Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area

The region supports a diverse diversity of plants and creatures found nowhere else on the planet, including many rare and endangered species, as well as local rock art and antiquities discovered in caves dating back to the last Ice Age. The area is also home to Australia’s last expanses of temperate rainforest and is one of just three last expanses of temperate wilderness zones in the southern hemisphere. The Tasmanian Wilderness world heritage area is a legacy of one of the world’s remaining significant wildernesses and a canvas rich in stories of humanity’s past and present relationships with nature.

Tenure of Land

Except for around 320 ha of exclusive land in the Vale of Rasselas, all the grounds are Crown property. The Ministry governs these tourism parks and heritage sites through the Parks and Wildlife Service (PWS).

Physical attributes of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area

Tasmania is harsh and forested, similar to central Australia, but it is also breathtakingly beautiful. The Tasmanian Wilderness world heritage area is a geological and geomorphological puzzle formed by three major glaciations. Overlapping structures underpin the island’s western half, while secondary systems underpin the eastern half, both of which are addressed in the World Heritage Area. The southwest overlay structure area is stony and densely forested, with mountain peaks and north-south valleys. The stones range in age from Precambrian to Devonian, and they were exposed to the Frenchman and Tabberaberan orogenies. Quartzite, schist, phyllite, aggregate, dolomite, siltstone, and sandstone make most Precambrian arrangements.

Climate

Tasmania’s temperate maritime climate is wet, windy, foggy, and cool. The wettest region in Australia is the southwest, which is influenced by the ‘Roaring Forties’ westerly airstream.

Fauna

The harsh and fluctuating climatic conditions and the varying topography, geology, soils, and flora have resulted in a vast range of habitats and a similarly diversely adapted fauna: scrubland, heath, and moorland species have numerous remarkable adaptations. The island of Tasmania and the southwest wilderness have been spared the effects of invasive species that have wreaked havoc on mainland biodiversity. Two primary faunal groupings coexist there: one that includes relicts of the Gondwanan fauna such as marsupials and burrowing freshwater crayfish, and the other that provides for rodents and bats that colonised The Tasmanian Wilderness world heritage area is one of the world’s most diverse regions, with a variety of indigenous species. There are signs of human occupancy in the area dating back over 35,000 years. Many species of organisms that would not have survived on the mainland otherwise thrived in Tasmania’s unique island ecosystem because of its isolation, diverse geography, and climate. For example, the burrowing freshwater crayfish’s existence could be dated back to the Gondwana, the supercontinent, and Australia from Asia millions of years after Gondwanaland broke apart.

Vegetation

This location encompasses Australia’s most significant cool and last expanses of temperate rainforest and most of the country’s last great peaceful wilderness. It’s also an international hotspot for plant variety, featuring a diverse range of environments that sustain various plant species and groups.

Local Human Population

Ranger employees are now the sole permanent residents within the WHA, principally at Lake St Clair and Cradle Valley. However, the Lyell Highway, which runs from the east coast to the west coast, passes through the WHA at the north end of the Franklin-Gordon Rivers Park.

Tourists and Facilities

The WHA attracts at least half a million tourists annually, increasing visitor numbers from 400,000 to 550,000 between 1992 and 1999. The number of visitors is highly seasonal, with January being the busiest and winter and spring being the slowest. Most tourists come for a day trip and take a similar circle across Tasmania, stopping at Cradle Mountain, Strahan, and Lake St Clair. Cradle Mountain is the most visited single site in the area. The vivid range of recreational and wilderness activities at the location includes bushwalking, fishing, boating and canoeing, horseback riding, lawful hunting, camping, caving, mountaineering, climbing, rafting, and cross-country skiing.

Conclusion

The Tasmanian Wilderness was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982 due to its remarkable natural values. Among them are the region’s remarkable landscape beauty, high biological diversity, and study-relevant nature. Due to its stunning walking pathways and breathtaking landscape, the Tasmanian Wilderness is a favourite among hikers and environment enthusiasts worldwide. The most well-known World Heritage Areas are South West Tasmania, Western Tasmania, and the Central Highlands. Tarkine, national parks, and the Cradle Mountain Wilderness are further Tasmanian wilderness areas that are worthwhile visits.