Where the Great Western Tiers Meet the Central Plateau

Overview

Moina sits in Tasmania’s north-west high country, near the northern edge of the Central Plateau and close to the Great Western Tiers. It is a small upland locality in the Kentish area, inland from the coast and west of Deloraine, with a landscape shaped by altitude, water and the abrupt rise of the plateau country.

This part of Tasmania is known for its transition from settled farming country into cooler, wetter mountain terrain. Nearby protected areas help define the character of the district, with the Great Western Tiers forming the dramatic escarpment to the east and the Central Plateau opening out to the south with its lakes, tarns and subalpine country.

Highlights

The scenery around Moina is all about elevation and contrast. The Great Western Tiers are marked by striking dolerite columns, deep gorges and heavily forested escarpments, creating one of the clearest landscape edges in Tasmania. From higher ground nearby, the country opens into plateau terrain dotted with lakes and tarns, while river-cut valleys and waterfalls add another layer to the scene.

It is a place where the mountain backbone of the state feels close at hand. Forest gives way to cooler upland vegetation, and the broader district carries that distinctive meeting point between cliff country, alpine water and thick temperate bush.

Best Time to Visit

Late spring through autumn is generally the easiest time to appreciate the country around Moina, when access through the highlands is less affected by winter conditions and the plateau landscapes are more readily seen. Summer and early autumn also tend to suit anyone wanting clearer views across the escarpments and high lake country.

Winter has its own character here, with frost, ice and occasional snow giving the area a stark alpine feel. Even without focusing on trail conditions, it is worth knowing that the season changes the whole mood of the landscape.

Plants and Animals

The surrounding reserves protect a mix of wet and dry eucalypt forest, rainforest, subalpine forest, grassland, shrubland and sphagnum peatland. Around the tiers, you can also find Pencil Pine, a Tasmanian conifer that can live for well over a thousand years.

The variety of habitats supports a strong spread of wildlife. Birds recorded in the wider Great Western Tiers area include grey goshawks and Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagles, while the Central Plateau is known for yellow-tailed black cockatoos, reptiles in the low scrub, and native mammals such as wombats, wallabies, possums, quolls and long-nosed potoroos. Its lakes and tarns also support distinctive aquatic invertebrates, including endemic species.