Chic new accommodation just a stroll from the Tasmanian wilderness

Mount Field National Park is one of Tasmania's most exquisite destinations.

It is also one of the best-kept secrets on the island state despite being located less than an hour from the capital city of Hobart.

Visit midweek and you can have exquisite rainforest walks and views of spectacular waterfalls virtually to yourself.

While tourists flock to Freycinet National Park on the east coast and the Cradle Mountain National Park in the north-west, the many charms of Mount Field remain largely undiscovered.

With its several spectacular waterfalls, and abundant wildlife, a short walk through stands of some of the world's tallest hardwood trees and Tasmanian eucalypt rainforests leads to spectacular three-tiered Russell Falls (above).

There are few spots on the planet where the air is so fresh and clean and the  area has been protected for its natural beauty since 1885, when it was set aside as Tasmania's first nature reserve. It used to be home to the now extinct Tasmanian Tiger, or thylacine.

Mount Field National Park was founded in 1916, making it, along with Freycinet National Park, Tasmania's oldest national park.

Mount Field is part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, so there is no accommodation inside the park, but just outside the gates you'll find the beginnings of an exciting new accommodation project..

The first stage of Mt Field Retreat opened a few weeks ago with a collection of comfortable self-contained pods.

The complex is the work of Greg and Rachel Power and their children, who also operate Waterfalls Café and Gallery in the national park visitor centre

There will eventually be 12 pods, a conference and training centre and seven luxury villas as part of the complex, which is a terrific base from which to explore the Derwent Valley and further afield.  

The pods are all impressively decked out with a king-size bed and plush sofa bed, kitchenette with stove top and dishwasher, and a shower that delivers plenty of hot water.

There are plenty of power points and USB slots and some colourful artworks on the wall. There are also TVs in both the lounge and bedroom, along with Netflix.

Make sure you bring plenty of food with you, however. The nearest supermarket is a fair drive away and the local pub only serves dinner from Friday nights onwards.

You can grab breakfast and lunch just a short stroll away at Waterfalls café - where you can expect hearty country flavours.

The National Park Hotel, also within walking distance of the pods, is a classic Australian country pub with friendly locals, a pool table and picnic area. 

The decorations include an axe that once belonged to Tasmanian champion woodchopper David Foster and pictures of long-forgotten local Aussie Rules teams.

Canoeing, trekking and cycling options are right on your doorstep here and guests might spot a platypus in the Tyenna River or endangered eastern quolls scurrying through the undergrowth.

Rates range from $250-$303 a night and in winter the slopes of the Mount Mawson ski field are just a short drive away.

Book direct for the cheapest rate at https://mtfieldretreat.com.au/

 

• # The writer was a guest of Tourism Tasmania an Mt Field Retreat.