# a trip to Mt. Field National Park, Tasmania



## moloch05 (Feb 14, 2008)

Last Sunday, my wife and I visited Mt. Field National Park in the south-central portion of Tasmania. This park is only about an hour's drive from Hobart. 







After entering the park, we continued up the road to the "high-country" (1000m) near Lake Dobson. The day was cool but we had a nice time walking through the alpine habitat to one of the ancient tarns (lake formed by a glacier). This area was really beautiful with all sorts of strange plants and a few reptiles.

Here are photos of Lake Dobson and then the surrounding areas:


























Skinks were abundant but once again were difficult to identify. To me, these look more like Mountain Skinks (_Niveoscincus orocryptus_) than Southern Snow Skinks (_N. microlepidotus_) but I am not certain of their identity. Most of these skinks had a mid-dorsal stripe whereas this was lacking on the Southern Snow Skinks from Mt. Wellington. They were unwary and ignored us as we walked by them.
















The most exciting find on the walk was an adult White-lipped Snake (_Drysdalia coronoides_) that was basking on the trail. This small elapid is a predator of the skinks.
















I was pleased to find these Pandani (_Richea pandanifolia_), the largest of all of the Australian heaths (Epacridaceae). This Tassie endemic is a giant that looks much like the unrelated Pandanus of the northern tropics. 






... one of the southern conifers. I think that it is a Pencil Pine (_Athrotaxis cupressoides_), one of several odd conifers grow in these mountain forests.






... colourful fruits on this shrub. I don't know its name.






... Tasmanian Pademelon


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## warren63 (Feb 14, 2008)

Great pics !!


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## Nephrurus (Feb 14, 2008)

Fantastic pics David... Tasmania is covered with stunningly beautiful areas. It's great to see some photos of them .

Please keep it up!


-H


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## ryanharvey1993 (Feb 14, 2008)

awsome pics david love the little white lipped! cant wait for more photos


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## $NaKe PiMp (Feb 14, 2008)

wow you always seem to find something intersting nice whitelip
and the land in tasmania is breathtaking theres no other place like it


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## JasonL (Feb 14, 2008)

All these pics of tassie of late, makes me want to go back, even with the lack of herp species, it is a must go for every nature lover, it certainly has some of the most stunning landscape in Australia, and what the wildlife lacks in diversity, it makes up in numbers, furry critters everywhere!


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## moloch05 (Feb 15, 2008)

Thanks for the comments. I will be back again for 10 days beginning next week so hopefully will be able to visit more of this beautiful island and take a few more photos.

Regards,
David


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## Chris.j (Feb 15, 2008)

Great pics Moloch.


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