The Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area is connected to the northern coast of the island by the Penguin Cradle Trail. A community initiative established by the North West Walking Club and managed by dedicated volunteers, it follows the valley of the Leven River through the Dial Range and then the crest of the Black Bluff Range. This 76km trek is a hidden gem, less known and less crowded than the Overland and South Coast Tracks, but just as rewarding. The walk hops between campsites, and includes rainforests and wildflowers, the magnificent Leven Canyon, the hanging Paddys Lake, and the sub-alpine vegetation of Black Bluff. Indeed, as this leg of the Ranger Relay progresses, our participants will be gaining altitude as they are losing reception in leaving the more settled districts behind. They will also be increasing their remoteness, one of the central definitions of wilderness, as they move across the varying land tenures: private freehold, future potential production forest, state reserve, nature recreation area, conservation area, and finally national park and Wilderness World Heritage area.
Photos: Leven Canyon, credit to Lincoln Quilliam. Black Bluff range near Mt Beecroft, credit to Nick Clark. Map stages, credit to Phil Wyatt. The next section will be The Overland Track.
