There is so much more to entice you to the Derby surrounds than mountain-biking alone. One of them is the walk to the widest living tree in Australia. Wouldn’t you love to say, “I’ve seen and touched the broadest tree alive in this continent”? Thought you might.
The tree in question goes by the name of the Blue Tier Giant and has a girth of 19.4 metres. Let’s try and put that into perspective for you: It takes fifteen people to wrap their arms around this baby! It soars to about 60 metres in height and is a giant ash, the tallest variety of flowering tree in the world.
How do you get there, you ask?
Directions are a little involved, so pay attention. These are from our friends over at Discover Tasmania:
“Continue on the Tasman Highway from Weldborough Pub to Little Plains Lookout - 6.8 kilometres from Welborough - where you'll see a small sign indicating Lottah Road. Drive into Lottah Road about 1 kilometre to the quarry on the left-hand side. Set your odometer to 0. Just past the quarry, about 200m on the right, is Lehners Ridge Road (unsigned). Turn into Lehners Ridge Road and drive mostly downhill till your odometer reading is 1.7 kilometres. There is a small pull-off area on the right.”
You’ll want to allow about two hours for the ‘Big Tree Walk’, which takes you deep into a forest of myrtle, eucalypt, ferns and mosses. As well as the gorgeous natural environment, there are interpretation panels along the track describing the flora and fauna, and you’ll see evidence of mining. A stone arch bridge guides walkers to the old tin mine water race, which you will follow for about 200-metres.
If you want to make a day of it, there are plenty of other adventures to pack into your time. A meal at the Weldborough Pub is a must (or at least a drink and half an hour to appreciate its history), a picnic at Little Plains Lookout, or one of the other walks in the Blue Tier plateau area, which range in length from 400m to 10.5km.
Have Fun!