Mount Anne Day Walk is a 15km, grade 4 return hike located in the Southwest National Park, Tasmania. The hike should take approximately 8-10hrs days to complete.

Summary

The Mt Anne day walk in Tasmania’s South West National Park (and World Heritage area) is an absolutely stunning hike. Mt Anne stands at 1423 metres and involves a full day walking.

From the car park at Condominium Creek, it is a solid hike up to the appropriately named “High Hut” which is at approximately 1000 metres. There is ample space to pitch a tent so a night or two up here is highly recommended for basing yourself on the mountain and enjoying the expansive views over Lake Pedder.

From the hut, things start to get a little more challenging, as the track becomes steeper and starts to involve a bit more scrambling over rock. After an hour or so you will find yourself at the 1289 metre high peak of Mt Eliza however, and from here you enter a new world – the alpine plateau which is covered in cushion plants, pandani, alpine flowers and many small tarns.

It is easy walking for a while from here, before you meet another dolerite bolder scramble, and the last steep climb to the peak. The peak is not for the faint of heart and should only be attempted in the finest of conditions. The views are expansive. Frenchmans Cap is visible far to the north west; the deep forests of the Weld River Valley are below you and the distinctive Federation Peak and Precipitous Bluff can be seen in the south.

Allow a full day for the walk, and for photographers, spending a night is almost compulsory. Doing it as a day walk as I did cut into shooting time, and of course being up high at dusk and dawn is one of the pure joys of Tasmanian landscape photography.

Getting there

Take the Lyell Highway from hobart to New Norfolk, then the Strathgordon/ Lake Pedder Road. Pass through Maydena and then turn left into the Scotts Peak Rd. (Midway between Maydena and Strathgordon). Follow this for 20km odd, parking in the signed Mt. Anne Carpark at Condiminium Creek.