Styx Valley

The Styx Valley, like other areas in Tasmania and Victoria, is home to the Eucalyptus regnans.
The Styx area has become well known ever since its tallest trees were first measured in the 1950s and protected in the Big Tree reserve.

The Styx Valley has a history of logging activities dating back more than 60 years.

and there are some pretty big logs to have...

The vast majority of Tasmania’s tall forests are permanently reserved from harvesting. Forestry Tasmania will preserve very tall and big trees in State forest under its Giant Trees policy. In the late 1980s Forestry Tasmania also created “Tall Tree Management Zones” spread across the state to protect young trees that will become tall trees of the future.

Forestry roads have opened up the Styx Valley since the 1950s, making areas of natural beauty accessible to visitors. Forestry Tasmania recognises that in addition to wood production, tourism is also important to the region. To that end, Forestry Tasmania has developed tourism facilities at the Styx Big Tree reserve that attract about 5,000 visitors a year.

On one short walk, we came across the 'Big Tree'...

This Swamp Gum (Eucalyptus Regnans) is one of natures giants. It is about 400 years old and in 2001 was measured at 86 meters tall.

and the 'Bigger Tree'...

At 87 meters the Bigger Tree Swamp Gum is one of the tallest trees on earth.

We also came across 5 Echidna, and this one was particularly photographic...

And on later to a beautiful spot by the river...

The Styx River flows from the mountains in the south and west and its waters are darkened by tannins leached from the buttongrass plains in the World Heritage Area.
Perhaps it was the dark waters that inspired the name. In Greek mythology the River Styx was the boundary between earth and the underworld (Hades).