This understated national park near Bicheno, on the East Coast of Tasmania, is a gem awaiting discovery by those with a real sense of adventure.

It’s a place of surprising contrasts, featuring tranquil waterholes, deep river gorges and thundering waterfalls, including the spectacular Apsley Falls. The crystal-clear waters that run through the park are a welcome sight on a hot summer’s day. Enjoy a picnic, a short walk, go for a refreshing swim, or take time out for quiet contemplation.

Walks within the national park will take you through a diversity of vegetation and terrain, including picturesque Apsley Gorge. Experience marshlands, wet gullies and pockets of rainforest. Douglas-Apsley National Park may fly under the radar, but it protects an important swathe of dry eucalypt forest as well as numerous rare and endangered plants and animals.