Don���t let the name of this place put you off ��� going there might have been a dismal experience for the surveyors who named it back in 1828, but for today���s visitors it offers a unique��eco-tourism adventure.��Dismal Swamp is actually a sink hole created over time with the dolomite slab dissolving in the wet area.��Early last century its timber was used for making kegs and more recently was on a logging, clearing and draining list. Locals realised its importance and fought to preserve its destruction. In 1976 they had success.

Today it has been developed by��Forest Tasmania with four boardwalks on the swamp floor to enable easy access to swamp life while keeping your feet dry.��Visitors are able to stroll down the 40m to the floor, take a gentle buggy ride or take a 110m slide to discover the delights of swamp fertility. Two kilometres of meandering pathways lead to a maze. Decaying logs provide a nursery for baby blackwood trees and tiny burrowing crayfish are evident in their important role in the survival of the area.��You can also slide down a tube to the forest floor or take a stroll or buggy ride down to the fertile swamp below.

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The state���s top designers have created magical and moving artwork to enhance the power of the environment. Local artist Roz Langford used tree knolls to create tree spirits representing her Aboriginal ancestry. Moss and railings that make sawing sounds when touched give a very spiritual feeling to the walk.

The modern visitors��� centre, with its pleasant cafe, ��is perched on the sinkhole rim overlooking the forest��and blends in perfectly. Entry fees apply.��Ph: (03) 6456 7199

Where Is it?

Dismal Swamp is��87km from Burnie via Smithton in Tasmania���s northwest. Smithton to Tarkine Forest Adventures ��� 32km