BackgroundThere are more than 60 threatened species in the Tarkine, which has a variety of ecology: temperate rainforest, sand dunes, buttongrass, and coastal heath. The Tarkine has bandicoot, echidnas, possums, Tasmanian Devils, quolls, and wombats, There's also more than a hundred bird species, including the threatened Orange-bellied Parrot. Importantly, there are many places where Aboriginals lived, evidenced by middens, cave paintings and other subtle features. Contemporary Aboriginals have a strong connection to the region.
The Tarkine Forest Reserve and the Arthur Pieman Conservation Area cover about 1000 square kilometres. Less than 5% of the Tarkine is protected in national parks or the like. In 2013 the Federal Minister for the Environment Tony Burke declined to list some 4300 square kilometres of the region on the National Heritage Register. He added only 210 square kilometres to the Heritage Register due to their Aboriginal values. Conservationist were and are appalled by the lack of protection to the area.
The walkThe Bob Brown Foundation (BBF) commissioned planning expert Martin Hawes to look into the matter. Preliminary planning was undertaken in late 2014 and early 2015, with most field trips being made between September 2015 and January 2016. Martin's Report on a preliminary survey of a Trans-Tarkine Track (TTT) was released in May 2016.
The proposed TTT begins south-west of Burnie and traverses rainforest, tall eucalypts, Mt Bertha, button grass moorlands, the Norfolk Range and the wild Tarkine coastline before finishing with a river cruise to Corinna. The walk will take ten days or can be completed as two five day trips finishing or starting at the Western Explorer Road. At 100 kilometres the TTT is longer than each of Tasmania's Overland and South Coast Tracks. The TTT will be a class three track, the same as the Overland Track.
The Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre and Aboriginal Land Council have joined environmental groups and tourism operators to support the TTT.
Trans-Tarkine Track Map courtesy of Martin Hawes