Access
The South West Wilderness is one of the most remote and inaccessible areas in Australia. No vehicular roads penetrate beyond the edges of the wilderness, so the only access to the south-west of the area is by foot, air or sea.
Two walking tracks (for very experienced walkers only) cross the wilderness. The 54 km Port Davey Track runs from Lake Pedder to Melaleuca and typically takes four to five days to walk. Lake Pedder itself is 75 km from Hobart via the Gordon River Road.
From Melaleuca the 66 km South Coast Track runs along the southern coast of Tasmania back to Cockle Creek. This section of the walk typically takes between five and nine days. From Cockle Creek at the end of the Huon Highway, the southernmost road in Australia, it is an approximately two-hour drive back to Hobart. There are also some shorter walks that enter the edges of the wilderness from the road access points.
Alternatively a plane drop-off and/or pick-up at Melaleuca can be arranged, although air travel into the area is highly dependent upon the rapidly changeable weather. Small planes fly on regular tourist flights from Cambridge Airport, Hobart and offer a stunning way to view the South West Wilderness. Flights take about 45 minutes each way.
The only other possible access to the wilderness is by boat. No regular tourist trips operate to the area by sea, though a water trip can be coordinated through the tourist flight operators. At least one sea kayak touring outfitter leads extended wilderness tours of Bathurst Harbour, using folding kayaks and departing from Melaleuca.
The area is subject to snow, ice, strong winds, heavy fog and cloud cover at any time of year, but especially out of the warmer months, which means any trip into the wilderness should be taken with caution. Rainfall can be up to 3,000 mm per year, and the superb views are regularly obscured by low level cloud. This variable and potentially dangerous weather occurs because the wilderness fronts the wild Southern Ocean, where the next landfall is Antarctica.
Read more about this topic: South West Wilderness
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