Natural Events in Tasmania
Tasmania is a haven for wildlife, including platypus, wallabies and the Tasmanian devil, ancient plants (remnants of Gondwana), and vast and pristine landscapes where footprints can still seem something of a novelty.
Summer
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Orange-bellied parrot breeds | Melaleuca, Southwest National Park | Dec - Feb |
| Swift parrot breeds | East coast, Bruny Island and Maria Island | Sep – Mar |
| Leatherwood in bloom | Across the state | Dec - Jan |
| Lavender flowering | North-east Tasmania, Tasman Peninsula | Dec - Jan |
Autumn
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Deciduous beech or fagus leaves change from rust red through to brilliant gold | Lake Fenton – Mount Field National Park; Cradle Mountain | Late April - May |
| Flowering of autumn bird orchid, Parson's band orchid, mosquito orchid and midge orchid | Various locations across the state | April - May |
| Short-tailed shearwaters (mutton birds) leave for Alaska | Bass Strait and south east coast | April - May |
Winter
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Southern right whales and humpback whales travel north | East coast especially Freycinet Peninsula | Jun - Aug |
| Acacia trees bloom - Silver wattle is particularly spectacular | Across the state according to species | Late July - Aug - Sep |
| Male little penguins return to renovate old burrows or dig new ones | North and east coast | Jun - Jul |
Spring
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Baby Tasmanian devils, Eastern quolls, spotted-tailed quolls and platypus | Across the state | Sep - Nov |
| Short-tailed shearwaters arrive from Alaska | Bass Strait and south-east coast | Sep - Oct |
| Tulips bloom | Wynyard – north-west coast | Sep - Oct |
| Southern right and humpback whales return south | North and east coast especially Freycinet Peninsula | Sep - Dec |
| Waratah flowers | Mt Wellington - Hobart | Nov - Dec |
| Little penguins breed along the coastline | North and east coast | Sep - Mar |