The Mt Anne day walk in Tasmania’s South West National Park (and World Heritage area) is an absolutely stunning hike. Mt Anne stands at 1423 metres and involves a full day walking.

Mt Anne day walk south west Tasmania – The track to Mt Eliza

From the car park at Condominium Creek, it is a solid hike up to the appropriately named “High Hut” which is at approximately 1000 metres. There is ample space to pitch a tent so a night or two up here is highly recommended for basing yourself on the mountain and enjoying the expansive views over Lake Pedder.

Lake Pedder from Mt Eliza

From the hut, things start to get a little more challenging, as the track becomes steeper and starts to involve a bit more scrambling over rock. After an hour or so you will find yourself at the 1289 metre high peak of Mt Eliza however, and from here you enter a new world – the alpine plateau which is covered in cushion plants, pandani, alpine flowers and many small tarns.

Isophysis tasmanica on the trail to Mt Anne

Geum flowers near the summit of Mt Anne

It is easy walking for a while from here, before you meet another dolerite bolder scramble, and the last steep climb to the peak. The peak is not for the faint of heart and should only be attempted in the finest of conditions. The views are expansive. Frenchmans Cap is visible far to the north west; the deep forests of the Weld River Valley are below you and the distinctive Federation Peak and Precipitous Bluff can be seen in the south.

View from Mt Anne

Mt Anne day walk Tasmania

Pandani and Mt Lot, Lots Wife

South West Tasmania – Pandani and Schnells Ridge from the Eliza Plateau

Allow a full day for the walk, and for photographers, spending a night is almost compulsory. Doing it as a day walk as I did cut into shooting time, and of course being up high at dusk and dawn is one of the pure joys of Tasmanian landscape photography.