After three days of being hammered by rain and winds that felt like they reached 100 km/h, we finally woke up in Pyengana to a morning that made every bit of that shaking and rattling worth it. There’s a particular peace that settles over the Tasmanian countryside after a storm, and seeing the sky turn those soft shades of pink and gold over the hills was just the tonic we needed.
We decided to try our luck again at St Columba Falls. We’d had a bit of a false start the day before because a fallen tree was blocking the way, but the morning was so still and clear we figured it was worth another look. We told ourselves that even if the tree was still there, we’d just leave the car on the shoulder and walk the rest. To our absolute delight, some kind soul had already been out with a chainsaw and cleared the path.
We are so glad we went back. These are, hands down, some of the most impressive falls we’ve seen in all our travels. Standing at the bottom of a 90-metre drop with that much water thundering down is a real "nature is boss" moment. The sheer majesty of the fast-running water hitting the rocks below was awesome, in the truest sense of the word. You grandkids would have been trying to see who could get the wettest from the spray!
Just a stone’s throw away, we found the Goblin Forest Walk. It’s one of the shortest walks we’ve ever done, but it absolutely stunned us. "Majestic" is a word we use a lot, but words really do fail to describe this place. It felt like we’d stepped straight into a fairytale.
Lisa was completely captivated by the moss. It covers everything—the ground, the fallen logs, the trunks of the trees—in a thick, vibrant green carpet. We even found this incredible white bobble moss that looked exactly like a fresh dusting of snow on the forest floor. Steve was busy trying to capture the way a little stream was tea-coloured from the tannins, winding its way through those mossy banks. It was so quiet and still; you almost expected a little forest creature to pop its head out and say hello.
From the forest, we continued onto the Moon Valley Rim Circuit, which leads up to Mount Poimena. The track started with that same magical mossy feel, but as we climbed higher, the landscape began to shift. The big trees started to thin out, replaced by hardy shrubs and open grass, giving the whole place a rugged alpine feel.
As we traversed the northern face of the mountain, the Tassie weather decided it had been nice for long enough. The wind returned with a vengeance, buffeting us as we made the final push to the top. We certainly felt the "real" cold for the first time on this trip! Up until now, we’ve been quite lucky, but standing up there, we were definitely reaching for our jumpers.
The view from the top was spectacular, looking out over the layers of blue mountains, but we didn't stay to admire it for too long. We were quite happy to head back down into the shelter of the smaller trees to get some relief from that biting wind. It was a day of two halves—the peaceful, mossy magic of the forest and the raw, wild power of the mountain top. We wouldn't have traded either for the world.
