The Meander Valley

Nestled along the north rim of the Great Western Tiers, Tasmania, the Meander Valley is a highly scenic, productive and remote part of northern Tasmania. If there were any Tasmanian Tigers about, some speculate that they could well be in the southern fringes of this valley.

The Great Western Tiers (known to the indigenous people as “Mountains of the Spirits”) run more or less from Dry’s Bluff to Cradle Mountain, including a number of Bluffs such as Quamby’s and Bastian’s, and other peaks such as Ironstone, Devil’s Gullet, Dog’s Head, Mt Roland and Mother Cummings Peak.

Armed with emergency supplies of chocolate coated raspberries – truly the best tasting food ever created – from the Christmas Hills Raspberry Farm, just north of Deloraine, we headed deep into the wilds of the Valley.

First stop was at 41South, a salmon smokehouse (hot smoked) where I bought for the next leg of my journey, well, a smoked salmon.

A perfect day for it – about 18 degrees, absolutely cloudless, no wind – and the tiers glowed accordingly.

This last one is Mother Cumming’s Peak

A number of magnificent looking houses adorned the high points of a number of peaks, defying the no doubt extraordinary site costs. There are a growing number of such luxury appointments available for holiday makers, those seeking solitude, bush and narrow winding gravel roads.

Past Meander we spied (spidered?) Lake Huntsman, the Meander River dammed, and enjoyed our lunch on its shores.

Further up the forest was closed so they could shoot the prolific feral deer from the air.

Heading back on the Lake Highway down to Liffey, we came across Bob Brown’s gift to the State, a sensational public nature reserve sitting right under Dry’s Bluff, lined by the rock laden Liffey River. A major highlight of our tour.

Taking the shortcut gravel track down past the road into Liffey Falls, into Bracknell and the like, it only remained for afternoon tea at the ever open JJs in Longford. I hope someone offers to wash my car – they did!

Michael Monaghan

May 2023