Facts and Figures

  • Tasmania contains Australia's largest tracts of cool temperate rainforest, with 82 per cent protected in reserves. Species-rich rainforest generally grows in areas receiving over 1,200mm of rain a year, but some isolated patches occur in much drier areas.
  • The Wooden Boat Centre south of Hobart teaches traditional skills in the use of the native timbers that made Tasmanian ships eagerly sought after for centuries. Each year, there is local and international competition for 15 places at the school.
  • The Tahune Airwalk enables visitors to walk 45m above the ground through the canopy of a mixed-use forest canopy near the confluence of the Huon and Picton rivers south of Hobart.
  • Tasmanian companies produce laminated timber beams and use them in engineering such timber structures as dome roofs, church roofs, footbridges, marinas, factory kits and house kits.
  • The Tarkine Wilderness Experience, in 600ha of moist blackwood forest near Smithton, features boardwalks through a giant sinkhole where visitors can explore a fertile, self-regenerating swamp without getting their feet wet. There is a slide for the adventurous and many intriguing artworks.