Tolkien Track

Directions - Located 90 minutes west of Hobart, take the Brooker Hwy north and follow the signs for New Norfolk. Pass through the town and follow the signs for Westerway and then Mount Field National Park. Pass through Maydena and then turn right at the sign for the Styx Tall Trees Conservation Area. Immediately turn right and head under the bridge, following the road to the Styx Tall Trees tourist area. From there keep going along the road until you meet a fork in the road, take the right turn up the hill and around the bend to the start of the trail. Look out for the green Tolkien Track sign. 

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The Hike - As a big Lord of the Rings fan, I was interested in seeing a hike named the Tolkien Track in a guidebook I bought a few years ago. I originally planned on hiking this one on my first trip here in 2018 but couldn't fit it into the schedule. With plenty of time this trip, there was no need to be hasty so put this on the agenda for our day travelling between Mount Field and Lake Pedder. Buried deep in the Styx Conservation Area, this is a region of Tasmania that is under threat, as logging of the native forest continues at an alarming rate and evidence of this can be seen on the drive in. It's not unusual to pass a number of logging trucks as you drive along Gordon River Road and once you turn off and head into Styx, the reason for this is clear.