Meander Falls

Meander Falls State Reserve in the Great Western Tiers foothills of northern Tasmania protects one of Tasmania's tallest and most spectacular waterfalls, where the Meander River plunges 130 metres over a dolerite escarpment into a deeply forested valley below. The reserve is part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area and provides access to some of the finest cool temperate rainforest in the state. The falls are fed by the waters of the Central Plateau and can be seen from several kilometres away when conditions are right. The walk to the falls passes through tall wet eucalypt forest and rainforest, creating an immersive wilderness experience culminating in the dramatic sight and sound of the 130-metre cascade.

The rainforest and wet eucalypt forest of Meander Falls supports diverse forest fauna typical of the wetter Great Western Tiers environments. The spotted-tail quoll and Tasmanian devil are present in the reserve and surrounding area. Platypus inhabit the Meander River in the lower valley, and the common wombat grazes forest margins. The endemic green rosella and yellow-throated honeyeater are common forest birds, and the Tasmanian scrubwren inhabits dense understorey throughout the wet forest. The wedge-tailed eagle, one of Tasmania's most impressive raptors, nests in tall eucalypts and hunts across the forested terrain. The falls create a permanently moist microclimate around the plunge pool that supports specialised mossy and ferny plant and invertebrate communities.

The vegetation of Meander Falls transitions from tall wet eucalypt forest on the lower slopes to cool temperate rainforest in the sheltered gullies and near the waterfall. Swamp gum is the dominant tall eucalypt, forming magnificent straight trunks up to 85 metres tall in the best stands. Beneath the eucalypts, myrtle beech, sassafras, and leatherwood form a closed rainforest understorey in the more sheltered positions. Soft tree ferns and hard tree ferns create a lush intermediate layer, and mosses and liverworts carpet rocks and logs throughout the wet forest. The cliff faces and rock outcrops adjacent to the falls are draped in dripping mosses and moisture-loving ferns maintained by the constant spray.

Meander Falls occurs where the Meander River flows off the Central Plateau over the Great Western Tiers escarpment, dropping 130 metres over a Jurassic dolerite cliff face. The falls are one of the most dramatic expressions of the Great Western Tiers landscape-forming processes, where the resistant dolerite cap of the plateau has been maintained as a sheer escarpment while the softer rocks below have been eroded away. The plunge pool at the base of the falls has been excavated into the bedrock by the erosive force of the falling water and carried debris. The dolerite cliff face displays prominent columnar jointing developed during the slow cooling of the intrusive rock.

The Meander Falls reserve is in one of the wetter parts of the Great Western Tiers, where westerly weather systems are effectively intercepted by the escarpment, producing annual rainfall typically exceeding 1,500 to 2,000 millimetres. The falls are impressive throughout the year, but spring and autumn deliver the highest flows after substantial rainfall on the Central Plateau above. Snow falls on the plateau in winter and melts gradually in spring, contributing to sustained flows over the falls during the cooler months. Summer temperatures in the forest are refreshingly cool, rarely exceeding 20 degrees Celsius.

The Great Western Tiers and the escarpment country was traditional Lairmairrener Palawa country, with the dramatic waterfalls and river systems forming significant landscape features in the cultural geography of these people. European surveyors and timber getters explored the Meander River valley in the nineteenth century, seeking the rich timber resources of the tall eucalypt forest. The Meander Falls area was documented and became known as one of the most spectacular natural features of the northern Tiers. Pastoral use of the plateau above and farming in the valleys below developed during the colonial period.

Meander Falls State Reserve was established to protect the waterfall and surrounding forest as part of the network of protected areas along the Great Western Tiers. Its inclusion within the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area recognises the outstanding universal natural values of the falls and the surrounding rainforest and wet eucalypt forest. The walking track to the falls was developed to provide public access to this spectacular landscape feature while managing the environmental impact of visitor numbers on the sensitive forest ecosystem.

The walk to Meander Falls is the reserve's primary attraction, a moderately challenging return journey of approximately six to eight kilometres through tall wet eucalypt forest and rainforest. The track ascends through increasingly impressive forest toward the falls, with the roar of the water becoming audible well before the falls come into view. The final approach through the cliff-base rainforest with the 130-metre cascade framing the view is one of Tasmania's great natural spectacles. A lookout platform provides the best viewing position. The falls are most dramatic after heavy rain, when the full flow creates a thundering curtain of white water visible from considerable distance.

Meander Falls State Reserve is located in the Great Western Tiers foothills approximately 50 to 60 kilometres south of Deloraine, accessed via the Meander Valley Road to Meander and then a forestry road. A car park and toilet are provided at the walk starting point. The reserve is visited as a day trip from Deloraine or Launceston, typically combined with other Tiers attractions. The forestry road to the car park may be impassable in wet weather for conventional vehicles. A national parks pass is required. Walking time to the falls and back is typically four to five hours for most visitors.

Conservation management at Meander Falls focuses on maintaining the tall wet eucalypt forest and rainforest in good condition and managing visitor impact on the sensitive ecosystem. The walking track is maintained to prevent erosion on the steep descent to the falls base and to manage mud and slippage hazards in the frequently wet conditions. Phytophthora cinnamomi protocols protect the rainforest understorey from this dieback pathogen. The outstanding stands of tall swamp gum in the reserve are monitored for health and forest succession. Climate change poses a long-term risk through changes to rainfall patterns and increased fire frequency on the Central Plateau above the escarpment.