Limited numbers. Bookings essential.

BASIC ITINERARY
10:45 am - Meet in Maydena
11:30 pm - Styx Big Tree Reserve
1:00 pm - Tolkien Grove
2:15 pm - Andromeda Stand
3 pm - Finish, return via Maydena

COST
$30 for the full day guided by a member of the production crew and big tree expert Steve Pearce.

NUMBERS
Tickets are limited to 25 people, car space is very limited on the roads we would advise traveling in a group rather than one person per car.

FULL ITINERARY
10:30 am meet on the main street in the town of Maydena approximately 1.5 hours from Hobart. Depart Maydena at 11 am and drive along Styx Rd for approximately 30 minutes.

Our first stop will be at the Styx Valley Tall Tree Reserve. This site is an absolute gem in the entire giant tree landscape of Tasmania. It is a rare example of an unlogged flat valley floor with 400+ year old trees. Here you can see the main tree featured in The Giants documentary, an 87m tall, very fat stemmed Eucalyptus regnans. This tree is very much one of the finest examples of the species with an intact crown structure, many huge primary branches, a whopping fat stem, and a clear unobstructed view of the crown via the south-facing side of the stem. Some bonus features of this location are a large number of other very big trees and a great diversity of fungi that should be in full fruiting at this time of the year. Depart this site at 1:30 pm and drive the short distance to the Tolkien Grove.

The Tolkien Grove is the home of the 84m tall Gandalf’s Staff, a tree that we created our first giant tree portrait of in 2016. This is the site that both Dr. Jen and Steve first visited independently on our first trip to Tasmania in 2002 and 2003. This site and tree have a very special place in our hearts and you will be delighted at the sight of Gandalf’s Staff which sits on a ridge line overlooking the Styx Valley. This prominent position means that the tree is exposed to the wild weather more so than the trees on the valley floor. A noticeable difference in structure and impacts is a very visible outcome of this experience, not all giants are the same. From the Tolkien Grove we will depart for the Andromeda Stand just 6km furth along Styx Road.

Andromeda Stand is the densest grouping of 90m+ trees in the southern hemisphere. This site features many trees but one stand-out specimen that we will get a commanding view of is Icarus Dream the second tallest tree in the southern hemisphere at 96m tall. From here we will part ways and make our way independently back to Maydena and Hobart.

HOW DIFFICULT ARE THE WALKS
Styx Tall Tree Reserve is a very solid, level, and compacted gravel trail it is very easy. The Tolkien Grove is more rudimentary and has several locations where slips, trips, and falls are possible due to slippery wet roots and squishy mud. It also requires a moderate downhill and uphill section. The Andromeda is a very easy walk along an over grown logging road with small deviations.

WHAT TO BRING
-A full tank of fuel is essential
-Prepacked food and water for the day is essential
-Warm and waterproof clothing is essential
-Good hiking boots are recommended
-Camera
-A portable chair if you get tired

THE ROADS
All of the driving past Maydena is on dirt roads. While it is bumpy, has many deep potholes and loose stones all car types can get there if care is taken and most importantly you drive slowly.