A huge tree beside the Russell Falls Nature Walk within the Mount Field National Park

National Park (including Maydena)
Access point to the Mount Field National Park
It is not every town in Australia which is located on the edge of a National Park and which has the daring (or the foolhardiness) to call itself - National Park.

Located 77 km northwest of Hobart and 8 km from Westerway, National Park is really nothing more than a trout farm, a kiosk, the Russell Falls Cottages, a camping ground and a picnic spot located on the edge of the Mount Field National Park.

Mount Field National Park was declared in 1916 after William H. Crooke had organised a National Parks Association two years earlier. The particular appeal of the National Park is that it uniquely combines tall wet eucalypt forest and cool rainforest (at Russell Falls) with glacial formations and snow country around Lake Dobson.

Things to see:  

Russell Falls Nature Walk
The park has a number of walks ranging from the easy, level Russell Falls Nature Walk - a leisurely half hour through stands of stringybark, mountain ash (the tallest flowering plant in the world) and white gum to a section of rainforest where myrtle, sassafras, tree ferns and fungi grow in the damp cool climate around the falls.

The falls, which were discovered by a man named Browning in 1856, are truly remarkable. They are not high (40 m) but the setting and the way they are tiered (it is possible to walk across the falls between the lower and upper levels) is quite beautiful.

The track continues and keen walkers can go to the Horseshoe Falls (about another 15 minutes) and the Lady Barron Falls (which is a round trip taking about 90 minutes).

Lyrebird Nature Trail
Another walk from the car park is the Lyrebird Nature Trail which is located 7 km up the Lake Dobson road and off to the right. There is an excellent information sheet available which describes the points on the trail - it passes kangaroo ferns, unusual heath species, yellow gums, man ferns and sword grass.

Lake Dobson

Lake Dobson
The less-than-perfect dirt road up to Lake Dobson seems to go on forever but the journey of 16 km is well worth the effort. Lake Dobson is a beautiful and isolated glacial lake far up in the mountains where the clouds seem to be only metres above the land and the vegetation has been hardened by the weather. In snow or in the wet it would be impassible without chains and a 4WD. There are a number of walks around the lake and in wintertime it is a popular ski resort.

Visitor Information Centre
The Visitor Information Centre near the car park and adjacent to the path to Russell Falls has brochures and sheets of information on all the roads and walks within the park. A visit to the centre is a sensible starting point.

Maydena
13 km beyond National Park is the forestry township of Maydena. It is located at the beginning of the Gordon River road (which is a toll road). The great attraction in the area is 'The Big Tree' in the Styx Valley. It is a huge mountain ash which, at a height of 98.2 m, is the largest eucalypt in Australia.

St. Andrews Anglican Church (built 1889), near Fentonbury

Maps of the area and details about the roads can be obtained at the Australian Newsprint Mills Office in the town.

	Hotels
	National Park Hotel Maydena Rd National Park TAS 7140 Telephone: (03) 6288 1103 Rating: *
	Cottages & Cabins
	Russell Falls Cottages Lake Dobson Rd National Park TAS 7140 Telephone: (03) 6288 1198 Rating: **
	Caravan Parks
	Mt Field National Caravan Park National Park TAS 7140 Telephone: (03) 6288 1477 Rating: **
	Camping & Other
	Mt Field National Park YHA Main Rd National Park TAS 7140 Telephone: (03) 6288 1369
	Restaurants
	National Park Hotel Maydena Rd National Park TAS 7140 Telephone: (03) 6288 1103