Improved facilities for off-road recreational drivers at Adamsfield

The Parks and Wildlife Service has completed a new day-use shelter providing improved facilities for campers and visitors to the Adamsfield Conservation Area, part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.

Minister for the Environment, Parks & Heritage Matthew Groom said that Adamsfield is a popular destination for camping and off-road recreational users.

“The new shelter at the campground beside the Adams River replaces a previous structure which was destroyed in a bushfire in 2007”, Mr Groom said.

“As users of the campground and the previous facilities for many years Four-Wheel Drive Tasmania has provided important input into the design and location of the new shelter.”

Picnic tables have been installed so that campers can cook and eat, sheltered from the elements.

4WD Tasmania Access and Environment Officer Pat Murray said 4WD Tasmania is delighted to see the completion of the Adamsfield shelter.

“The new hut location and design fits perfectly with our members’ needs and can only enhance what is already an amazing destination,” Mr Murray said.

Adamsfield is an historic site where prospectors mined for osmiridium in the late 1800s to early 1900s. It was once home to more than 1000 people and traces of the village and mining operations are evident around the site. Only two of the original huts remain.

Adamsfield is accessed through two main routes and has been a popular destination for four-wheel drivers for many years. The Sawback Track is the most challenging for four-wheel-drive and off-road vehicles. The track is rough and often extremely wet and muddy. Users must be prepared for extreme conditions and it is not a drive for novices. The Morley Track, off Clear Hill Road, is better formed and accessible to lighter four-wheel drive vehicles, but includes water crossings to access the campground and shelter.

Due to the challenging terrain, the number of vehicles entering the site is limited and users are required to obtain a permit and key from PWS, as both tracks have a boom gate. Registered quad bikes and motorcycles can access the tracks and site. Permits and keys can be arranged by contacting Mt Field Visitor Centre on 6288 1149.
Matthew Groom, Minister for Environment, Parks and Heritage