Written By John Bradley
At just under 91,000 square kilometres, Tasmania is Australia’s smallest state, around 40% the size of the next smallest state, Victoria, which is Australia’s smallest mainland state.
The indigenous Palawa people have been on Tasmania for 40,000 years prior to colonisation starting in 1803. Indigenous Australians are part of the oldest continuous civilisation on earth, with bones found in places such as Mungo National Park, dating back 42,000 years.
Of the estimated 15,000 Palawa people who were on Lutruwita (the name from Tasmania from the constructed Palawa Kani language) in 1803, by around 1850 only 47 were left. Much of this was put down to introduced diseases.
To become a UNESCO Heritage Site, an area has to meet at least one out of ten criteria, six of which are cultural and four natural. Remarkably, the wilds of Tasmania meet 7/10 of those criteria, making it the joint most highly ranked in the world alongside Mount Taishan in China.
Launceston Gorge lays claim to the longest single span chairlift in the world. At 457 metres from station to station, and 308 metres between the furthest pylons, it is a seriously long piece of wire, one that certainly made for a wobbly ride. Despite this they have a 100 percent safety record since opening in 1972.
The forests of Tasmania are home to the oldest tree on earth – King’s Holly or Lomatia Tasmanica. There is a slight technicality here though, King’s Holly clones itself, so when branches drop they form roots and grow a genetically identical version. So whilst none of the plants are over 300 years, this plant has been dated as far back as 43,000 years and possibly as long ago as 130,000 years.
Barnbougle Dunes in northern Tasmania ranks at number 38 on the list of best golf courses in the world, which considering 31 of the courses above it are in the USA or UK is a pretty big achievement.
Tasmania has the world’s largest lavender farm, Bridestowe, north of Launceston. It has an estimated 650,000 plants set out in unusual curved formations which, if all lined up, would stretch for 200 kilometres. The farm spans over 260 acres and has been going since 1922.
