Two mountain ‘Abels’ over 1100m in the ‘Coast to Cradle Wild Country’

Black Bluff (1340m) and the lesser-known nearby Mount Tor (1105m) are two of Tasmania’s 158 peaks over 1100m in height, known collectively as ‘Abels’.  

Bill Wilkinson, author of ‘The Abels’, was inspired by the term ‘Munros' used in Scotland for mountains over 3000 feet. The name ‘Abels’ is in recognition to the Dutchman Abel Tasman, the first European to see a Tasmanian mountain in 1642.  

Climbing all of Tasmania’s Abels has become a self-set challenge for some Tasmanians and visitors. Well defined track enables easy ascent of Black Bluff, whilst the route to Mount Tor has been described by some as ‘tortourous’ or ‘better than expected’, but the views well worth the effort.

Collectively these mountains are the magnificent backdrop to Loongana. 

The forest covered slopes contain a highly diverse patchwork of native vegetation, including Tasmania’s most northerly occurrence of King Billy Pines (Athrotaxis selaginoides).

In 2003 the community-led ‘Canyon to Bluff Working Group’ obtained broad municipality support for the Mount Tor and the northern slopes of Black Bluff to become an extension to the Black Bluff  Nature Recreation Area.  

This nomination was supported by the Tasmanian Forest Agreement 2012 and the forestry industry paid compensation for the area’s protection but gazetting to formalise this reserve extension still needs to occur. 

Take a drive to Loongana to see this beautiful place, or a walk to the top of one of the Abels. 

If you want to be a part of discussing how the future of these special places should look, then complete the Coast to Cradle Wild Country Community Survey here: https://kuno.earth/articles/community-survey-coast-to-cradle