Mt. Field National Park

Mt. Field National Park is Australia's first national park.  It is part of Tasmania's World Heritage Wilderness Area and home to rainforests, Russell Falls, and old growth swamp gum trees.  Although the weather was misty rain when we arrived, we were able to take a few of the shorter hikes in the area and spend the night among the many wallabies grazing in the campground.

The hike to Russell Falls meandered through a dense rainforest.  Russell Falls is considered by many to be one of the loveliest falls in Tasmania.  It is, indeed, beautiful.

Hike to Russell Falls, Mt Field National Park 

Russell Falls, Mt. Field National Park

We then drove up to the the Tall Trees Trek.  Here we walked among some of the tallest trees in Australia.  The trees are officially known as Eucalyptus regnans, a Latin derivative which means to rule or to reign.  These swamp gums have smooth, almost white bark at the top and "stockings" of thick, dark, fibrous bark on the bottom of their trunks.  In a high wind, strips of stocking bark will tear off the trunk, littering the tree's limbs, the ground, and highways with its long bark ribbons.

Swamp Gum, Eucalyptus regnans

Swamp Gum on Mt. Field Tall Tree Walk

Swamp gums are the tallest of all hardwoods and nearly as tall as America's redwoods, which are considered softwoods.  An interpretive sign stated the tallest swamp gum measures 98 meters (just over 321 feet) while the tallest redwood measured 111 meters tall (364 feet).

Hot showers in the morning warmed us up after a chilly night.  Wonderful!