Where the Mersey cuts through the Gog Range

Overview

Alum Cliffs State Reserve protects a rugged section of the Gog Range in northern Tasmania, near Mole Creek and roughly 70 kilometres south-west of Launceston. The reserve is centred on the Alum Cliffs themselves, where the Mersey River narrows into a steep, cliff-lined gorge, giving the area a much sharper, more dramatic character than the surrounding farmland suggests.

This is a compact but striking landscape, known as much for its geology and landform as for the wider bush around it. The cliffs sit above a deeply cut river corridor, and the reserve extends into a broader area of forest, heath and ridgeline country.

Highlights

The defining feature here is the gorge cut by the Mersey River below the cliffs. From the high edge of the range, the river can be seen threading through a confined rocky channel, with the drop and the enclosing slopes giving the reserve its sense of scale. The Alum Cliffs are part of the Gog Range, so the scenery is shaped by a mix of escarpment, ridgeline and river valley rather than one single viewpoint alone.

What makes the place memorable is the contrast between the settled country around Mole Creek and this sudden pocket of steep, broken terrain. The reserve feels like a geological interruption in the landscape, where the land falls away abruptly and the Mersey takes over.

Best Time to Visit

Alum Cliffs can be rewarding at any time of year, but the cooler months generally suit the place well. Autumn and spring usually bring mild walking weather and clearer air for looking into the gorge, while winter can add extra atmosphere when the surrounding forest is damp and the river country feels at its most vivid.

In summer, the reserve still suits a shorter visit, particularly earlier in the day when the bush is cooler and the light sits more gently on the cliffs.

Plants and Animals

Beyond the gorge scenery, the reserve is important for its vegetation. The broader Gog Range area includes damp heath dominated by Melaleuca squamea, patches of buttongrass along the main ridgeline, and forest communities linked to the Ordovician sediments of the range. This mix of plant communities helps explain why the reserve feels different from the richer agricultural country nearby.

The reserve also supports significant populations of threatened plants, including seepage heath and other species recorded from the Mersey River and Gog Range area. Even where the vegetation looks understated at first glance, it is part of a more specialised upland environment than many visitors would expect from this part of Tasmania.

Culture and Heritage

Alum Cliffs is also known by the Aboriginal name tulampanga and remains a place of particular significance to Tasmanian Aboriginal people because of the ochre found nearby. That cultural connection is expressed on site through artworks and outdoor pieces created by local Aboriginal artists.