If you are driving to the west coast, or just want a day trip from the Hobart area, head out to Mt Field National Park, and then continue on to the Styx Big Tree Reserve, managed by Forestry Tasmania. In May 2005, Australia's tallest known living tree, at 97 metres (more than 300 feet), was protected in a new formal Forest Reserve. The Reserve also protects the tallest and largest known trees in the Styx Valley - such as Gandalf's Staff (the site of the Greenpeace tree platform in 2004) and Bell Bottom (580 centimetres or 22 feet in diameter). Some of these trees tower as much as 32 storeys and are more than 300 years old. They are the world's tallest hardwood trees, known as swamp gums or mountain ash (Eucalyptus regnans) and brown top stringybark (Eucalyptus obliqua). Some of the walks already have raised wooden walkways and more are planned for the new Reserves. Please note that the unsealed roads are not suitable for the larger touring coaches.
