Some say our region’s best features are found from “Coast to Canyon”, but here in the Loongana Valley we say it’s “Beach to Bluff” – that’s Black Bluff, the 1300 metre rock ridge that towers above us, the River Leven, and Loongana’s wild forests.
There’s a mix of land-use here, including some small farming and plantation, but we still have significant old growth and mature wet rainforest habitats, which are full of birds, bugs and wild critters. Wildlife corridors link the Loongana Range to the River, and the forests flow all the way up to the subalpine heath on the Bluff, where eagles soar and the view to Cradle Mountain is uninterrupted. It’s a joy to live in a place where you can look out the window to healthy wombats, pademelons, echidnas, wallabies, the occasional Forester kangaroo or devil, and, yes, the odd Tiger snake.
Local small tourism businesses thrive on visitors wanting to experience the area – from Nietta’s fabulous Kaydale Gardens to the Leven Canyon Lookout and Floor Walk (Devil’s Elbow is a hidden gem, and a stunning iconic wild place). Plus, there’s the Mountain Valley Cabins, Winterbrook Falls, Dempster Creek, Penguin to Cradle Trail, and the full day walk up to Paddy’s Lake and the Bluff.
The only sad note is that our valley, and local jobs, are at risk from TasNetworks’ proposed high voltage transmission line (the NWTD), part of Project Marinus, which will cause significant environmental and economic harms to us and our region.
If you’re interested in Loongana’s five-year David v Goliath battle against bad planning (and want to see some beautiful images) check out our community’s website, solvetasmania.org.
In the meantime, come and visit! Walk the tracks, throw a line in, bird-watch or sit in the shallows of the Leven River at Taylor’s Flats and just chill out. We love this place and know you will too.
