Mount Gnonom Farm’s Vision to put the Dial Range on the Tourism Map
Coast to Cradle Wild Country
The owner, Guy Robertson, moved to the farm nearly 17 years ago. Dreaming of setting up an agri-tourism business, Mount Gnonom Farm provided the perfect place, with rich farming land and the natural backdrop of the Dial Range right next door. The farm is named after the mountain peak with the same name, where one can experience rewarding views of the southern Dial Range, and the countryside from east of Penguin to Devonport and beyond.
Guy highlights how important the natural values of the Dial Range are for the local population.
“The Dial Range is a natural corridor that connects the sea to the central plateau. What’s really unique about the Dial Range here on the northwest coast is how accessible it is. The majority of the northwest coast population can access it within 25 to 30 minutes. So it's really loved by local people for mountain biking, trail riding, bushwalking, or just getting away for the day.”
As a tourism operator, Guy believes that the natural values that exist in the Dial Range should be promoted a lot more than they are.
With a passionate voice, Guy describes the rare fern trees, beautiful orchids, the tallest flowering plant in the world, Eucalyptus regnans, and threatened species like the masked owl, the Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagle and the Tasmanian Devil, all whom call the Dial Range their home.
“To me it's totally underutilised from a tourism point of view. You drive past and you wouldn't even know the Dial Range exists. There's no signage, there's no promotion, the walks aren't signed or promoted well. So it's really local people advising guests to the region who bring tourists there, it's not on the tourist radar the way it should be.”
Highlighting and promoting some of the lesser known natural gems in Tasmania, like the Dial Range, could be a way to ease some of the pressure on drawcards like Cradle Mountain and Freycinet.
“We actually need to develop more of these sorts of areas, to take the pressure off some of those other natural areas and get more people experiencing some of the other natural beauties of the state”, says Guy Robertson.
“Every time I go for a walk in the Dial Range, I'm reminded of how amazing it is, how beautiful, and you hardly ever see anyone and you think, 'Why is something so beautiful right on our doorstep not known and utilised by more people?' My long-term dream is that more people would come and experience how beautiful the Range is.”
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A working group is bringing together a community-led vision for the Coast to Cradle Wild Country, including the Dial Range, and are inviting the community to drive and shape this vision so it captures their dreams for the future of this very special place.
Have your say by filling out the community survey: https://kuno.earth/articles/community-survey-coast-to-cradle
Tilde Bergström
Conservation Stories Editor
The owner, Guy Robertson, moved to the farm nearly 17 years ago. Dreaming of setting up an agri-tourism business, Mount Gnonom Farm provided the perfect place, with rich farming land and the natural backdrop of the Dial Range right next door. The farm is named after the mountain peak with the same name, where one can experience rewarding views of the southern Dial Range, and the countryside from east of Penguin to Devonport and beyond.
Guy highlights how important the natural values of the Dial Range are for the local population.
“The Dial Range is a natural corridor that connects the sea to the central plateau. What’s really unique about the Dial Range here on the northwest coast is how accessible it is. The majority of the northwest coast population can access it within 25 to 30 minutes. So it's really loved by local people for mountain biking, trail riding, bushwalking, or just getting away for the day.”
As a tourism operator, Guy believes that the natural values that exist in the Dial Range should be promoted a lot more than they are.
With a passionate voice, Guy describes the rare fern trees, beautiful orchids, the tallest flowering plant in the world, Eucalyptus regnans, and threatened species like the masked owl, the Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagle and the Tasmanian Devil, all whom call the Dial Range their home.
“To me it's totally underutilised from a tourism point of view. You drive past and you wouldn't even know the Dial Range exists. There's no signage, there's no promotion, the walks aren't signed or promoted well. So it's really local people advising guests to the region who bring tourists there, it's not on the tourist radar the way it should be.”
Highlighting and promoting some of the lesser known natural gems in Tasmania, like the Dial Range, could be a way to ease some of the pressure on drawcards like Cradle Mountain and Freycinet.
“We actually need to develop more of these sorts of areas, to take the pressure off some of those other natural areas and get more people experiencing some of the other natural beauties of the state”, says Guy Robertson.
“Every time I go for a walk in the Dial Range, I'm reminded of how amazing it is, how beautiful, and you hardly ever see anyone and you think, 'Why is something so beautiful right on our doorstep not known and utilised by more people?' My long-term dream is that more people would come and experience how beautiful the Range is.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A working group is bringing together a community-led vision for the Coast to Cradle Wild Country, including the Dial Range, and are inviting the community to drive and shape this vision so it captures their dreams for the future of this very special place.
Have your say by filling out the community survey: https://kuno.earth/articles/community-survey-coast-to-cradle
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