the Western Explorer becomes Rebecca Road and turns toward the west coast proper . Approaching Couta Rocks , and Temma to the south , it ’ s clear that the land has changed . What was once wild , is now foreboding and seemingly inhospitable . The Southern Ocean lies beyond the dunes , the next land mass South America . The roaring forties beat the Tasmanian west coast relentlessly , yet this rocky landmass refuses to be beaten into submission . The small fishing communities that line the coast tell a similar tale . They face a constant battle against the winds that roar around two thirds of the Worlds surface before slamming into tiny homes , battered boats and a forever changing landscape . The people who live here , Couta Rocks , Sarah Anne Rocks , Nelson Bay and Arthur River are linked not only many beachside tracks and a constant battle against the wild winds but a common respect for the land , the sea , and dangers they face every day eking an existence .
Inhospitable in its presence , beautiful in its harshness , Tasmania ’ s wild west , the Tarkine is a region
that needs to be explored , to be witnessed , to be appreciated .
During a time of Covid restrictions and limited travel it was easy to forget that we weren ’ t the only people on Earth . Riding was easy , as easy as you want it to be with plenty of options to divert and explore further , tracks allowing for a leisurely pace or tracks that challenge , all offering rewards of untouched wilderness and human heritage of a few centuries or that that dates back tens of thousands of years .
The Western Explorer is not a challenging road yet will challenge your perceptions and understanding of a region of Australia so often forgotten although is quickly becoming a new destination for the adventurous . This is the wild west coast of Tasmania , be prepared for all levels of adventure . LW
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