Mount William National Park
- Introduction
- Fact file
- A look at the past
- Natural features
- Native plants
- Wildlife
- PWS 1300 135 513
- Park ranger (03) 6356 1173
- PWS St Helens (03) 6376 1550
- ENJOY some of the state’s best fishing in Ansons Bay
- SNORKEL around one of the park’s rocky points
- TAKE the Forester Kangaroo Drive at dusk to glimpse the park’s wildlife
- WALK to the Bay of Fires or spend a day beachcombing at Stumpys Bay
Introduction
Tucked away in the remote north-east corner of the state, Mount William National Park is fringed with gorgeous bays stretching from Ansons River to Musselroe Bay. The landscape is one of rolling hills, rugged headlands and pristine white-sand beaches, some strewn with pink-granite boulders, while in the north a string of marshy lagoons creeps inland from behind the coastal dunes.
Fact file
Access
From Hobart via Midlands Hwy and A4, or Tasman Hwy, to St Helens then C843; from Launceston via Tasman Hwy, B82 to Gladstone then C843 and C845
Best Season
Summer
Location
315 km north of Hobart; 130 km east of Launceston
Park Information
Permits
Park entry fee payable
Size
18 440 ha
Where to Stay
Gladstone (03) 6357 2143
St Helens (03) 6376 1744
A look at the past
The park is culturally important for Indigenous people and is possibly the site of the fi rst Aboriginal occupation of Tasmania some 36 000 years ago. Members of the North-East tribe, these first inhabitants had access to generous food resources of kangaroo, possum, abalone, mussels and other shellfi sh. The Aboriginal community retains strong links with the Mount William area, and accepts some responsibility for the management of the national park. The park was created on a former grazing property in 1973 as a sanctuary for the forester kangaroo, Tasmania’s largest native animal.
Natural features
The park encompasses a low-lying coastal plain behind the long open beaches of the north-east tip of Tasmania. Like most of the east coast the underlying granite is now exposed and eroded into rounded lichen-painted boulders – its high quartz content is responsible for the area’s famous pure white beaches. Dominating the northern section, the 214-metre Mount William is the highest point.
Native plants
Vegetation is mostly low-growing heath containing a rich diversity of flowering plants, at their best during spring and summer. Eucalypt species are the main trees, with some banksias and she-oaks. The most distinctive plant, the grasstree, produces its extraordinary flower spike from the midst of its grass-like foliage after fire, or during spring and summer. The wetlands support some unusual species such as the erect marsh fl ower.
Wildlife
A slow drive around the park at dawn or dusk will reveal wallabies, pademelons, brushtail possums and wombats. This is also the best place in the state to see the forester kangaroo, a Tasmanian equivalent of the mainland’s eastern grey. Its favourite food is grass, which it grazes from dusk to dawn, preferring to rest in the shelter of trees and shrubs during the day. Less often seen are the spotted-tailed quoll and New Holland mouse. Tasmanian devils, once present in large numbers, have succumbed in recent years to a rare type of cancer. Research will hopefully fi nd a cure so that these delightfully rambunctious animals can continue to make their home here. The park’s 100 bird species include pied and sooty oystercatchers, gulls, terns and Australasian gannets. The shy albatross visits particularly during winter, while the white-bellied sea-eagle soars in majestic circles at all times of the year. Being so close to the Bass Strait Islands, the park is a staging post for migratory species such as short-tailed shearwaters, swamp harriers and tiny silvereyes.
Featured Activities in the National Park
Introduction
Root-rot fungus, Phytophthora cinnamomi, is present in the park so boots, tent floors and poles should be cleaned before use in any other natural areas. Offshore reefs and rocky headlands provide good snorkelling and scuba diving sites, particularly near Georges Rocks and Eddystone Point.
Beachcombing and bushwalking
Mount William summit walk (1½ hours return, easy) offers panoramic views of the Furneaux Islands, Eddystone Point and Ben Lomond plateau. Cobler Rocks walk (2 hours return, easy) crosses flat coastal heath to end at a tiny secluded beach. The exceptionally beautiful Abbotsbury Beach, part of the crescent of white sand that forms the Bay of Fires, is a short walk (30 minutes return) from Eddystone Point Road.
Fishing
Boats can be launched from a ramp at Eddystone Point or the beach at Stumpys Bay campsite 3; both require 4WD. There are also boat ramps at the townships of Musselroe Bay and Ansons Bay, just outside the park. Bream, Australian bass and flathead are the target fish at Ansons Bay, while off the coast are barracouta, trevally, mackerel, whiting and Australian salmon.
Horse riding
With a permit from PWS, horse riders can use the 15-kilometre trail leading out from the horse yards on Musselroe Road.
Picnicking
Picnic Rocks caters for day visitors and park campgrounds double as picnic areas, all with tables and fireplaces. There are gas barbecues next to Stumpys Bay campsite 4, beside the lagoon, with the nearby beach offering interesting beachcombing or an after-lunch stroll.
Scenic views
Landbridge Lookout off Forester Kangaroo Drive has panoramic views northwards to the Furneaux Islands. Eddystone Point Lighthouse has commanding views of the coast, north over the park and south across Bay of Fires.
Campsites
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