Why visit Alum Cliffs?
The answer is simple. Alum Cliffs is all about the views!
Tucked away in the central north region of Tasmania. Just a few kilometres from the town of Mole Creek. Hidden away on a dirt road cutting through the farmland you’ll find a walking trail.
Bushwalk
The 45 minute return walk starts off steep right from the car park on Mersey Hill Road (Unsealed). With a well built gravel track and stairs winding its way up the hillside.
Climbing the track you have a strip of wild bush land to your left and farmland on the right. The farmland gives the walk a rather domestic feel. You don’t get that sensation of being out in the real wilds of Tasmania. Which is a bit of a shame, but you do get to see animals from both areas.
Farm animals to the right and native animals to the left.
The scenery is typical Australian bush land. It’s a very dry landscape full of dry leaf litter, rocky terrain, tall trees and scraggy ferns hiding under the trees canopies.
Dotted throughout the area for the keen eyed walkers are colourful wild flowers.
Sculpture Trail
Once you’ve made it up the steep slope, the area opens out into a large grassed area with a giant art installation.
The installation is part of the Great Western Tiers Sculpture Trail, which is a series of sculptures created by Tasmanian artists spread throughout the region.
Beginning in the town of Deloraine, with sculptures found along the banks of the Meander River. The trail spreads out into the countryside encompassing attractions such as Meander Falls, Liffey Falls, Mole Creek Caves, Devil’s Gullet and obviously Alum Cliffs.
From here the track gently slopes downwards which makes for an easy walk, until you have to come back up.
Snaking along the ridge line, this part of the track is enclosed with vegetation and not much is visible, beside a few open areas of trees.
It stays this way until you reach a short staircase up to the viewing platform at the edge of the cliff.
Alum Cliffs
The views from Alum Cliffs are without a doubt spectacular!
A split level viewing platform juts out from the cliff side. The platform gives panoramic views over the Alum Cliffs and the Mersey River below.
The high towering Alum Cliffs rise over 200 metres from the plateau with the tree covered mountain ranges back dropping the view.
The landscape looks almost in miniature from the high lookout platform as you look towards the horizon.
The platform is equipped with seating. So take a seat, have a snack, give those legs a rest and soak in the views.
Tulampanga
Alum Cliffs is also known by another name, the Tasmanian Aboriginal people call the area Tulampanga.
It is a sacred meeting place for Aboriginal nations and was used to host large corroborees. The area was also prized for the ochre collected at the site, which were used in the women’s dreaming ceremonies.
