“THE woody interlacing branches even when not an inch in diameter will bear the weight of a man laden with his knapsack. But woe betide the luckless wight who while travelling through this scrub, treads on the treacherous mossy disguised twig or branch which has decayed. Should this not infrequent case happen down to unknown depths he may drop while the green treacherous mossy carpet springs into its place like a trap, concealing the engulfed explorer...”
R M Johnson, Systematic account of geology in Tasmania, Hobart 1888
R M Johnson's dramatic account refers to an area a century or so later would be known as the Tarkine and a visit to it today still reveals an ancient untamed land of great beauty and mystery. As a guest of Park Trek I've come to experience their five-day Tarkine wilderness walk where we'll be bushwalking, beach combing and generally exploring – and hopefully not being engulfed by vines.
Our guides Andrew and Steve collected myself and four other guests at Launceston and whisked us off to our first stop, the northern coastal town of
