Stepping out the future in the Meander Valley
Photo by Jade Hallam
Syds Track, near Western Creek, is one of the more adventurous walks that were first featured in the Gazette in April 2018, as part of the Meander Valley Great Short Walks series, photographed by Jade Hallam and written by Tara Ulbrich.
By Colin King
THE GREAT Western Tiers/ Meander Valley region is set to cement its place as the Short Walks Capital of Tasmania, a gathering of tourism industry operators in Deloraine was told at a recent networking event held by Tourism Northern Tasmania.
Ten new walks are set to be added to the current roster of short walks promoted to visitors, and a new master plan for tourism in the region is being developed, Chris Griffin from Tourism Northern Tasmania said.
While other areas of Tasmania can offer beaches or intrepid mountain hikes like the Overland Track, the Meander Valley has its own unique experiences to offer, with short walks ranging from easy, wheelchair-friendly strolls by riversides and in historic townships, to more challenging adventures, such as Projection Bluff or Meander Falls.
Even more well-known attractions such as the Mole Creek caves have plenty to offer. Besides the caves themselves, the area’s remarkable karst landscape offers endless opportunities for photography, especially during fungi season. All within a short walk of the caves themselves.
The whole Meander Valley area showcases much more than ‘just’ spectacular wilderness. Meander Valley and the Great Western Tiers are home to a well of history, both Aboriginal and European. Many of the walking tracks in the area, such as at Jackeys Marsh, follow the trails built by sheep graziers in the 1860s. In their turn, many of those followed the much more ancient trails worn over thousands of years by Aborigines. Many of the walks can be linked together, to make an overnight, or two or three-day walk, or even joined with more famous walks such as the Walls of Jerusalem.
Developing a new master plan for the region will map out the future direction for tourism in the region, Mr. Griffin said, as well as help secure funding for future tourism industry development. Tourism Northern Tasmania is hoping to disperse visitors from the traditional hotspots, such as Hobart and Launceston, by showcasing all that the region has to offer. In this way, the benefits of Tasmania’s growing tourism industry can be spread to all regions of the state.
One of the next steps for Tourism Northern Tasmania is to add two new “drive journeys” to its current roster. Self drive journeys offer visitors the freedom to explore the region on their own, while showcasing all that it has to offer.
Tourism Northern Tasmania plans to add ‘Central Highlands to the Midlands’ and ‘Stanley to Scottsdale and everything in-between’ selfdrive tours.
Tourism Northern Tasmania are holding a workshop in Deloraine on 16 October, at the Empire Hotel, from 2.30 to 4.30pm. Anyone who is interested is invited to attend. Interested parties can contact Chris Griffin on 0402 628 768 or chris@tnt.org.au.