Tasmania keeps showing up on "must-do" 4WD lists and, having done it, I understand why. The island packs more track variety into a small area than anywhere else in Australia. In January 2015 we knocked off three tracks across a few days — Climes Track, the Pyengana Jeep Track, and Saw Back Ridge near Adamsfield. What follows is the honest account of all three.
Climes Track — Granite Creek Crossing
We ran Climes Track south to north — the harder direction. It had rained for two days before we started, and it rained on the day. That meant Granite Creek was running high and the track was carrying a solid coat of mud throughout.
Total time with filming: just over three and a half hours. We had one minor recovery. Nothing dramatic, but a reminder that mud plus gradient equals work.
The track itself is not the most technically demanding you'll find in Tasmania, but it demands constant attention. There's no switching off. The granite sections require precise line choice, and the creek crossing is not something to rush — in 2006, three people died here when their vehicle was swept into the waterfall. We took our time, checked depths, and crossed carefully.
I'd rate Climes Track in my top five for overall enjoyment. It has everything — mud, rock, water, gradient, and that satisfying feeling of having picked your way through something that required thought.
Pyengana Jeep Track — West to East via Columba Falls
The Pyengana Jeep Track we ran west to east, finishing out at Columba Falls before continuing through to the Pub in the Paddock. That's the logical direction — you work your way through the technical sections and the waterfall is your reward at the other end.
The track lives up to its name. It's tight, it's muddy in the right conditions, and the creek crossings keep you honest. There were some genuinely deep sections where depth testing was not optional — you probe before you commit.
Columba Falls at the exit is worth the stop. One of Tasmania's tallest waterfalls, easily accessible once you're through the track, and a sharp contrast to what you've just crawled through. The Pub in the Paddock in Pyengana is the natural debrief location — it's a working dairy farm with a licensed pub. Worth it.
Saw Back Ridge Track — Adamsfield
Saw Back Ridge sits near Adamsfield in the remote southwest, well away from the tourist trails. It's a different character to the other two — more exposed, more committed, and the kind of track that makes you think about your recovery options before you get deep into it.
This one is harder to summarise because the terrain speaks for itself on camera. What I will say is that it earned its place in the trip itinerary. If you're already making the effort to get to that part of Tasmania, the ridge track is worth the extra time.
What Tasmania Gets Right
Three tracks across three days, and not one of them was disappointing. That's hard to say about most regions.
The combination of granite, mud, and rainforest makes Tasmanian tracks feel genuinely different from anything on the mainland. The weather is unpredictable — we had rain throughout — but that's part of it. The tracks are better when wet. The scenery holds regardless.
If you're planning a Tasmanian trip, build in more time than you think you need. The island rewards the patient traveller. Road transfers between tracks take longer than the maps suggest, and the best stops — Columba Falls, the Pub in the Paddock, the Adamsfield approach — deserve more than a cursory drive-through.
Watch the full Tasmania 2015 series on the AllOffRoad YouTube channel.
