Southwest National Park

Southwest National Park is a Tasmanian national park accounting for 10% of Tasmania. It takes up all of the southwest of the state and is one of the many parks that make up the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Site.

The park is known for many things, including its rugged untouched wilderness, glacial lakes, a landscape that looks more like that of southern Canada rather than Australia, and one of the best spots in Tasmania to see the Southern Lights.

Understand
Southwest National Park is a very large area in the southwestern part of the island of Tasmania which has been designated a national park. The climate is considered too inhospitable for human settlement, but offers instead a near pristine natural setting.

There is only two settlements in the entire park,, with a permanent population of around 5 people, and the township of  that was built for the hydro-electric dam. Neither of these have visitor facilities, and the former does not even have road access.

History
The land that now makes up Southwest National Park has been traditionally inhabited by the Needwonnee people, and this area was never settled by Europeans.

The park was created in 1955 and as Lake Pedder National Park, it was expanded over the subsequent 35 years to the large area seen today. In 1968, it was renamed to Southwest National Park by the Tasmanian government and it was declared by the United Nations Biosphere Program in 1977 as a Biosphere Reserve.

Landscape
The rugged landscape is covered by Buttongrass moorland and wet Eucalypt forest.

Flora and fauna


Southwest NP contains a good twenty percent of Tasmania’s flora, of which around 118 are endemic to Tasmania. The King’s lomatia (Lomatia tasmanica) is listed as endangered while others such as the blown grass (Agrostis aequata), Spring peppercress (Lepidium flexicaule) and Dune buttercup (Ranunculus acaulis) are considered rare.

The wilderness is uniquely rich in biodiversity in terms of the variety of fauna species of mammals, birds, reptiles, frogs species, freshwater fish and marine fish that are endemic here. The park is an important habitat to the Orange-bellied Parrot (Neophema Chrysogaster) and freshwater fish Pedder Galaxia (Galaxias pedderensis), that are listed as critically endangered.

Climate
The park is renowned for its adverse, often inhospitable conditions across all seasons of the year. It has a high annual rainfall of over 2000mm with very strong to cyclonic westerly or south westerly winds, low temperatures, frosts and frequent cloud cover.

Visitor information
Alternatively, the visitor centre at Mount Field National Park can also answer inquiries and handles everything to do with Southwest National Park.
 * Park website

Get in
Melaleuca on the southwest coast has a small airstrip. It is otherwise only accessible by boat or hiking. Paravion offers flights and tours from Hobart Airport.

is a small town just outside the park, and represents a good base to start exploring.

For the South Coast coastal walk, the small settlement of provides the best access.

Fees and permits
There are no fees for using the camping facilities.

Get around
There are roads through the park, but fuel is not available in the park itself.

Do

 * The is an 85 km trail traversing Tasmania's south coast. It usually takes between six and eight days one way.

Buy
There is almost nothing to buy in the park itself. Make sure you come prepared.

Eat and drink
The only place to get food is in the Lake Pedder Lodge, but otherwise there are no independent restaurants, cafes, or any place to buy food in the park. Campfires are banned within the park (except in designated campgrounds), and only fuel stoves are allowed.

Sleep
The aurora is visible during parts of winter. You might need to do a bit of a hike, but it is well worth the effort.

Camping
There are a few campgrounds around the park, with varying levels of facilities.