Introduction
Hartz Mountains National ParkIUCN category II (national park)Ladies Tarn, Hartz National ParkHartz Mountains National ParkInteractive map of Hartz Mountains National ParkLocationTasmaniaNearest cityHuonvilleCoordinates43°13′47″S 146°45′22″E / 43.22972°S 146.75611°E / -43.22972; 146.75611Area71.4 km2 (27.6 sq mi)Established1939Visitors11800 (in 2005)Governing bodyTasmania Parks and Wildlife ServiceWebsiteOfficial websiteUNESCO World Heritage Site
UNESCO World Heritage SiteCriteriaCultural: iii, iv, vi, vii; natural: viii, ix, xReference181Inscription1982 (6th Session)
Hartz Mountains National Park is located in the south of Tasmania, Australia. It is one of 19 Tasmanian National Parks, and in 1989 it was included in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, in recognition of its natural and cultural values. The Hartz Mountains were named after the Harz mountain range in Germany.
Geography and geology
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Most of the park is over 600 metres above sea level, with altitudes ranging from 160 m at the Picton River to 1,255 m at Hartz Peak. The backbone of rock in the park is dolerite, while the southern areas at lower altitudes are constituted from sedimentary rocks formed from sediments deposited by marine, glacial and freshwater sources between 355 and 180 million years ago. The relief has been modified over time by several ice ages, forming cirques, horn peaks, aretes and glacial troughs.
Flora and fauna
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Tasmanian pademelons inhabit the park
The varied vegetation includes wet eucalypt forests, mixed forests dominated by stringybark, rainforests, sub-alpine and alpine forests. The rainforest communities are dominated by myrtle, sassafras, leatherwood and native laurel. The sub-alpine forests are dominated by three eucalypt types: snow gum, varnished gum, and yellow gum (Eucalyptus subcrenulata). Much of the understorey is made of heath plants, including the Tasmanian waratah.
Most mammals in the park are nocturnal, and include Bennett's wallabies, Tasmanian pademelons, brushtail possums, echidnas and platypus.
Among amphibians outstanding is the moss froglet which was discovered at Hartz Mountains in 1992. Some of the common birds in the park include the eastern spinebill, green rosella, forest raven and several honeyeaters.
