Port Davey

Kayaking on Port Davey

Sailing Port Davey

Bathurst Channel

Mt Rugby, Bathurst Harbour

Cox Bight

Accessible only by boat or on foot, this region must surely be one of the most magnificent landscapes on the planet. Gold-green ranges, with bony quartzite ridges, rise sharply from the southern ocean and the broad interior waterways of Port Davey.

Four major rivers and numerous creeks cut through gorges and snake across open plains, draining their rust-coloured waters into the Port Davey Marine reserve. Small islands dot the surface of the dark waters. White quartzite sands fringe the shoreline. On a fine, calm day the marine reserve’s waters reflect the landscape to endless perfection.
The underwater landscape is even more surprising. Tannins in the freshwater restrict sunlight penetration to the top few metres, limiting the growth of marine plants. In their place live colourful and delicate marine invertebrates.
How to get there: The lack of human impact is a result of the difficulties in accessing the area - access is possible only by sea, on foot (via the South Coast Track and the Port Davey Track) or by air on a southwest Tasmania tour. A park entry pass is required to visit and that guidelines apply to all visitors. Most people visit in the summer months during the occasional respite from the roaring forties weather patterns.

The beach is the airstrip at Bathurst Harbour

Port Davey Marine ReserveThe Port Davey Marine: this Reserve lies within the Southwest National Park and the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. Encompassing Port Davey, Bathurst Channel and Bathurst Harbour, the reserve (17 753 hectares / 178 km2) extends inland for more than 20 km to the north and east, up to the high water mark of all rivers, bays and estuaries.  Website

About Bathurst Harbour: an isolated, stunningly beautiful wilderness area on Tasmania's South-West coast. This marine area, to which there is no road access, comprises of some 17,000ha and is part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. Between Macquarie Harbour on Tasmania's west coast and Recherche Bay on the south coast, a distance of 250 km of coastline, Bathurst Harbour is the only sheltered inlet. Bathurst Channel is a deep and narrow drowned river valley, 12 km long and 1 km wide, connecting Bathurst Harbour with Port Davey. It is known to be a drowned river valley with water depths varying from 15 to 40 metres. Port Davey contains a wide variety of habitats, including cliffs, rocky shores, sandy beaches, sheltered bays and inlets harbouring seagrass beds and mudflats.
If nothing was known about the unusual biological and physical aspects of Port Davey - Bathurst Harbour, it would still be considered unique, as it the only harbour in southern Australia where marine and estuarine systems and surrounding fresh water catchments have not experienced significant human impact.

Cox Bight: a coastal region deep in South West National Park in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. Cox Bight is surrounded by the South West Wilderness national park, with its vast tracts of ancient rainforest, jagged mountain ranges, and beaches pounded by the Southern Ocean. The three nearest beaches to Cox Bight are Neck Beach, Ocean Beach and Friendly Beaches. The nearest sealed road to Cox Bight is the Huon Highway 58.5km away.