1. Hartz Mountains National Park - World Heritage Area. Turn off to the spectacular alpine park. This park features many of Tasmania's best day walks to the highland lades and waterfalls. Views over the Picton Valley and the destruction caused by the woodchipping industry.
2. Arve River Picnic Area - One of the many rivers and streams in this area. This picnic area provides the basics for an outdoor lunch. The water in streams such as the Arve, can be some of the purest water in the World. Forestry activities may change this, with the use of 1080 animal poisons, and herbicides near waterways.
3. Big Tree - A truly magnificent sight, is the size of this giant Eucalyptus Regnans. This tree is part of a species which are the tallest flowering plants in the World. It is protected by a very small reserve. The Southern Forests once contained many of these elders of the forest. Current short term logging rotations, around 80 years, means that trees like this may never grow again in state forests.
4. Tahune Airwalk - Giant steel cage construction amongst the trees. The Tahune Reserve itself contains many old growth trees and some rare Huon pine. The walk under the Airwalk and the Huon Pine Track opposite are much better value. Be warned - money spent here contributes to the destruction of Tasmania's forests. Toilets available here.
5. Glover's Bluff - Just a few kilometres beyond the Airwalk and behind the locked forestry gates there are many beautiful areas. The Weld Valley is one of them. Call Forestry Tasmania on 6297 0012 to ask them for the South Weld Road Key. This Bluff provides views of the Weld River and west to the World Heritage Area. The views contain tall forests, buttongrass plains, and exposed mountain tops. All the forests in sight are under threat from logging. Sign on the side of the road leads to a rough 2WD track out to the Bluff.
6. Crystal Falls - This area contains huge stringy barks and leatherwood, with many small streams. This whole area is proposed for clearfelling, burning and poisoning. The area is proposed to look similar to the adjoining logged area. Key needed for South Weld Road. Available from Forestry Tasmania (6297 0012). Good walk along Crystal Creek to the numerous waterfalls. Follow new forestry road after the clearfell.
7. Ruebens Falls - Named by the local explorer Henry Judd after his son, this short track provides a walk through ancient Stringybarks along beautiful Isabella creek (named after Henry Judd's wife). The 90-minute return trip takes you to a tall waterfall deep in the forests. Key needed for South Weld Road. Available from Forestry Tasmania (6297 0012).
8. Mt Weld Walk - a number of days can be taken to reach the summit of Me Weld and Lobster Lake along the way. The summit provides views up the Weld Valley. The middle and upper Weld Valleys contain the deepest cave in Australia as well as caves used by indigenous people during the ice age. The lower Weld Valley still remains open to threats from industrial scale logging. This is a fairly rough track, at the end of South Weld Road amongst the cutting grass. For experienced bushwalkers only. Key needed for South Weld Road. Available from Forestry Tasmania (6297 0012).
9. Huon Track - one of the gateways to the South-West National Park. This track winds along the banks of the Huon River. This track was used by the early Huon Piners to access Port Davey and the routes in between. Moderate grade, 5 hrs return to Blake's opening and the World Heritage Area. Shorter walks my be taken along the track to view Huon Pines and the amazing Huon River. All the forests along this track are unprotected and are threatened by woodchipping. Key to the lower Picton Bridge gate sometimes needed. Call Forestry Tasmania for details (6297 0012).
10. Picton Valley - this area has had its international conservation values documented by the World Heritage Bureau and many environmental groups. Today it is a horror story of Tasmanian forestry. Many clearfells, right to the side of the road, dot this once incredible valley. Logging areas over a few hundred hectares are burned and poisoned, with the runoff flowing into many streams and the mighty Picton River. Part of the Eastern side of the valley was taken from Hartz Mountains National Park. River rafting can be done from either one of the two bridges, then down to Tahune.
11. Farmhouse Creek - Another incredible gateway to South-West Tasmania. Walk days to Tasmania's unique Federation Peak or just a short stroll along this beautiful creek. Protestors won protection for this area and today this is part of the national park.
12. Edwards Road - this side road near the Airwalk is used to keep the log trucks out of sight of tourists. This allows the many logs from forestry operations to leave without many people having witnessed the loads bound for the woodchip mill. This road also provides a loop road back to Geeveston or Huonville, passing many clearfells and plantations.
13. Proposed Southwood Site - this is a proposal by Forestry Tasmania to burn native forests for power. The proposal aims to have a sawmill, woodchip mill and wood-fired power station sitting on the banks of the Huon River. It aims to burn over 300,000 tonnes of native forests for electricity and use a total of 800,000 tonnes. The proposal will also use some 5 million litres a day of water from the nearby Huon River. So SOS wesbsite for more details (www.southcom.com/~sos)
14. Denison Tourist Drive - this long circuit through the back of the Lonnavale valley takes you through plantations and old growth forests alike. Crossing the little Denison and later the Russell river, this tour takes you through some forests which were logged around 20-30 years ago. Large areas of monocultured plantations exist. This area once had extensive tracts of old growth forests, a lot of which has been logged. The small remnants of what previously existed may be seen in this strips left beside creeks.
15. Lake Skinner - this is a walk through Yellow Gum forests to an alpine lake. Around 5-hrs return, this walk is one of the closest World Heritage Area walks to Hobart. Walk onto the Snowy range to see some spectacular views of the South-West. Only the tops of the mountains are protected, the lower lying forests remain open to woodchipping.
16. Alternative loop - back to Geeveston through trashed forests and clearfelled landscape. This area is another example of industrial forestry and what happened beyond the airwalk
17. Eddys Road - Required key from Forestry Tasmania (6297 0012). This road was pushed through ancient forests and across the wild Weld River. A community picket operated here in February 2002 to try and stop this madness. This road allows access to the Weld and Middle Huon Valleys, beyond the eyes of the tourists. The bridge site provides short walks up the river. At the start of the road, on the right, is a 4WD road which follows part of the Huon River. Good swimming.

Map illustration by Jacque Green, production design by Chris Hudson.

Produced by The Huon Valley Environment Centre,

17 Wilmot Road, Huonville