Tasman National Park | |
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IUCN Category II (National Park)
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Nearest town/city | Port Arthur |
Area | 10,750 ha[1] |
Established | 30 April 1999[1] |
Managing authorities | Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service |
Official site | Tasman National Park |
Tasman National Park is located in eastern Tasmania, Australia, 56 kilometres east of Hobart.
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The park was proclaimed under the Regional Forest Agreement on 30 April 1999.[2] The Tasman Island Lighthouse (constructed in 1906) is located on Tasman Island, which is part of the park. This lighthouse and weather station has been unmanned since 1977.[3][4]
At 300 meters asl, the columnar dolerite cliffs at Cape Pillar and Tasman Island are among the highest in the world.[2] Dolerite is a rare rock type on mainland Australia.[2] Land formations accessible by road include the Blowhole (a hole at the inland end of a sea cave, Devil's Kitchen and Waterfall Bay.[2] Dolerite formations which are more easily viewed from the ocean include Cathedral Rock, Totem Pole, Candlestick, and Tasmans Arch.
Three species of Euphrasia (a semi-parasitic, herbaceous flowering plant commonly known as eyebright) are found only in Tasman National Park.[2] The rare Cape Pillar Sheoak is a shrub or small tree found only in the Tasman National Park where it is restricted to the Cape Pillar area of the Tasman Peninsula and to Tasman Island.[5]
Australian Fur Seals use the coastline for breeding and resting, and Little Penguins (sometimes referred to as "blue penguins" or "fairy penguins") nest along the foreshore.[2]
The park forms part of the South-east Tasmania Important Bird Area, identified as such by BirdLife International because of its importance in the conservation of a range of woodland birds, especially the endangered Swift Parrot and Forty-spotted Pardalote.[6]
The Three Capes track is a proposed 68 km, 5 night/6 day, hut based, one way walk encompassing the three capes in the Tasman National Park: Cape Hauy, Cape Pillar and Cape Raoul. [7] The proposal would require an additional 30 km of additional walking track, and upgrades to existing track. [7] The proposal suggests that the infrastructure would be required to cater for 60 walkers each day. The feasibility study proposed a fee of $200.[7] The track would start at White Beach and end at Fortesque Bay.[7]