Far South Tasmania offers more activities such as Picknicking, Fossicking and Bird Watching
Picnicking
The Far South is the perfect place for a picnic, there are many beautiful spots to sit, relax and enjoy the stunning views. You can even find your own oysters along the foreshore in Dover, Southport and Hastings Bay.
Gas/Electric BBQ’s are available at the following locations:
- Surveyors Bay
- Esperance River Picnic Area
- Dover Foreshore
- Hastings Cave & Thermal Springs (only during opening hours)
Fossicking
At the Lune River gemfields, the amateur or experienced fossicker has the chance to find beautiful agates, jaspers, quartz crystals or Early-Jurassic(182 m.y.o.) woods and rare fern fossils. Fossicking doesn’t occur along the Lune River itself, but in some of the hills surrounding it. There are 2 Public Fossicking Areas (PFA) set aside, where permits are not required. Mostly it requires digging with sturdy tools (shovels, mattocks etc.), trying to locate the gravel layer where any gemtones and fossil fragments have settled, but sometimes it it’s simply a matter of having a ‘keen eye’ as you walk the slopes. Further information regarding these areas can be obtained from the Mineral Resources Tasmania website/booklet or from Lunaris Gemstones, the rockshop at Lune River (see Attractions).
Bird Watching
The Far South region presents interesting geographical-botanical country, with an extensive coastline to the east and predominantly National Park-World Heritage Area to the west. Roads, small towns and settlements are mostly confined to the coastal hinterland in between.
We are fortunate here to find just about every Tasmanian plant community type, represented on a transect line from Southport Lagoon Conservation Area to Mt La Perouse. This is unusual in such a short distance and provides a wide range of habitats for many species of bird. This rich diversity of birds is a natural highlight of the region, with most habitat types being reasonably accessible, whether by car eg. Hartz Mountains – rainforest/alpine, on foot, eg. South Cape Bay – eucalypt forest/coastal or by train eg. Southport Lagoon – sedgeland/heathland.
From the rich blue of the Superb Fairy Wren to the silent glide of the White-bellied Sea-Eagle, from the raucous cry of the Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo to the night call of the Tawny Frogmouth… there are many birds in this Far South region to be enjoyed by the quiet observer.
Bird list of the Far South available here. Thank you to Friends of Ida Bay Historical Society for sharing this useful list.
