Pandani Grove

Pandani Grove

​The Pandani Grove is a beautiful green oasis nestled beneath the ski slopes of Mount Mawson in the upper section of Mount Field National Park. It is a lovely walk along which you will see many alpine plants.

This easy 1.5-kilometre circuit around the edge of Lake Dobson passes many pandani, growing amidst alpine gums and soft tree ferns.

This lovely pandani is the tallest heath in the world; its rugged, drooping foliage sheds snow and ice, protecting them from the cold at this​ high altitude.

Pandani Grove ~ Mount Field

Pandani Grove ~ Mount Field

Pandani Grove ~ Mount Field

The Pandani Grove walk is one of the 60 Great Short Walks

of Tasmania

The Walk - 1.5 Kilometre Circuit - 40 Minutes - Grade 2

This walk starts 16 kilometres from the Mount Field Visitor Centre at Lake Dobson; there is plenty of car parking near the start of the track.

The Pandani Grove walk is an easy 1.5-kilometre loop on a well-formed, mainly flat track. Along the walk, you will enjoy beautiful views of Lake Dobson.

The wonderful pandani is just one of many subalpine plants found in Tasmania and nowhere else on Earth.

Pandani Grove ~ Mount Field

Pandani Grove ~ Mount Field

Pandani Grove ~ Mount Field

Along the walk, you will see a large variety of alpine plants, and at the far end of the lake, there is an excellent patch of forest dominated by a mixture of pandani and pencil pine​s.

Pencil pines are one of several ancient conifers that are endemic to Tasmania.

There is also a platypus population in Lake Dobson, so look carefully for the tell-tale ripples on the lake's surface, particularly at dawn and dusk.

Pandani Grove ~ Mount Field

Pandani Grove ~ Mount Field

Pandani Grove ~ Mount Field

Directions to Lake Dobson

Mount Field National Park is 70 kilometres northwest of Hobart. From Hobart, head northwest on the Brooker Highway (A10) to New Norfolk.

Once at New Norfolk, follow the winding road of B61/B62, turning into Mt Field National Park on your right. Drive past the Visitor Centre towards the camping grounds, then turn onto Lake Dobson Road.

This road is unsealed, windy and narrow; it is suitable for 2WD vehicles in dry conditions. It is not suitable for large motorhomes or caravans. Drive 16 kilometres along Lake Dobson Road until you reach the car park.