25/09/2026
I've lived in Tasmania for a while now, and the tall trees still stop me in my tracks every time. 🌿
The first time I stood at the base of a giant swamp gum, I had to lean so far back to find the top that I nearly lost my balance. Even then, the canopy disappeared into the mist. These are Eucalyptus regnans, the tallest flowering trees on the planet, and Tasmania's wet southern forests are one of the few places on Earth where they grow this big.
The king of them all is Centurion, hidden deep in the Arve Valley. In 2018 it was laser-measured at 100.5 metres, taller than a 30-storey building. It got its name because it was the 100th giant tree registered in Tassie, and it happened to cross 100 metres too. It survived the 2019 bushfires, scarred and a few metres shorter, but still standing, like so many of these giants that have been growing for 400 years or more.
You don't need to bush-bash to feel it for yourself. Wander the Styx Valley, known as the Valley of the Giants, or head down the Huon to Tahune and the Arve Big Tree. Take the gentle Tall Trees Walk at Mt Field, or drive up to Evercreech in the northeast to meet the White Knights, glowing pale against the green.
Pack a thermos, go slow, and look up. Nothing puts life in perspective quite like it. 🙌
