Feather in your cap

You cant miss Frenchman's Cap the striking quartzite dome soars to 1,443 metres; white, stark and visible throughout most of the Franklin-Lower Gordon Wild Rivers National Park.

If youre feeling fit and have three to five days to spare, reach the summit on a splendid, 54-kilometre walk that will shine in your memory forever. December to March is best, but its challenging at any time. Close to 1,000 walkers complete it each year.

The walking trail begins three kilometres west of the Franklin River, allowing you to combine the walk with a river cruise or raft. Stride across a picturesque suspension bridge and youre on your way! The walk traverses dramatic alpine country, thick with hardy native plants like Huon pine and celery top pine, adapted to survive snow and ice. Two huts on the route, at Lake Vera and Lake Tahune, can provide shelter but youll need to carry your own tent, stove and rations.

Views from Barron Pass are fantastic and primeval scenery around the foothills between Franklin River and Lake Vera lures landscape photographers from around the world. (Some have decided to settle in Tasmania!) Lake Tahune is overshadowed by the sheer, 500-metre cliff face of Frenchman's Cap. From here, the summit lies less than a kilometres steep walk away. Your reward (on a fine day) is a panoramic view of the whole of Tasmanias south-west wilderness, including Lake Macquarie sparkling below, Federation Peak and Mount Ossa in the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park.

Wild rivers!

The Franklin - Gordon Wild Rivers National Park is one of the most famous and beautiful treasures of the World Heritage listed Tasmanian wilderness. Lying 201 kilometres north-west of Hobart, the pure air and crisp atmosphere of the remote wilderness and rainforest and the unbelievably beautiful, glacially-formed landscape have become a magnet for adventure seekers. Here you can bushwalk, take photographs, camp, kayak or raft. You can strike camp and relax in what is one of the last of the truly wild regions in the world.

The Franklin River is perfect for rafting and kayaking, and has gained a reputation for offering the best of these in Australia, possibly the world. One of the most sought-after experiences is the full trip down the River, an awe-inspiring nine-or-12-day wilderness rafting experience, which takes you through some of the best scenery Australia has to offer. Cruising is popular too, on the Lower Gordon River, and anglers seek out the Gordon River for good trout fishing in its well-stocked waters.

Tasmania's wild areas are perfect for nature-spotting tours. Flora and fauna once prolific on the mainland is now mostly limited to Tasmania: for example, the elusive, feisty Tasmanian Devil and varieties of quolls (native cats). The Franklin River Nature Trail offers a series of walks from several minutes to a full day. The best time to visit here is between October and April.