King Billy Pine Forest ~ a walk with giants
King Billy Pines (Athrotaxis selanginoides), also known as King William Pines, is a tree endemic to Tasmania. They only grow in the mountains of northwest and southwest Tasmania. Walking in King Billy Pine Forest truly is a walk with giants.
King Billy Trees
The trees were named in honour of William Lanne (c.1835 – 3 March 1869), the Oyster Bay Aboriginal tribal leader and the last full-blooded Aboriginal Tasmanian man, who was also named after the reigning King William of England. His nickname was ‘King Billy’.
King Billy Pines are evergreen trees found chiefly in high altitudes such as the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park at 500 – 1200 metres or more elevations.
Despite being called pines, these giant trees are conifer trees. They grow very tall, up to 40 metres high, with some trunks measuring over 1.5m in diameter.
Old Growth Trees
Many of the King Billy Pine Forest trees are over 1,000 years old, and some dead trees have been lying on the ground for over 1,000 years. They are still very solid, showing no signs of decay. These old-growth forest trees are beautifully covered with moss and lichen, and some are adorned with fungi.
Early settlers used King Billy pines as fuel for shipbuilding, smelters, and mines, and as a result, many of these trees were lost. The wood is very soft and light pinkish-brown with a fine grain, making it suitable for string instruments such as banjos, violins, guitars, and ukuleles for boat building. Being such a beautiful wood, it was also extensively used for cabinetry, tables, and chairs. Hence, the forests were very depleted of these trees.
These fantastic trees grow extremely slowly, which makes it very hard for forests to regenerate new trees. It takes around 40 years for seedlings to grow to 1 metre tall. As a result, King Billy Pine trees are now a protected species and all logging is forbidden inside and outside protected areas.
King Billy forest walk
King Billy’s walking track in the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park is a 2km long circuit that takes around an hour to complete. Once in this enchanting forest walk, it is very easy to spend two or more hours just meandering through, enjoying the surroundings and listening to the sounds of the forest. It is very peaceful and tranquil while standing amidst these amazing giant trees.
The walk begins and ends behind the Cradle Mountain Lodge. It is open for everyone to take this walk, not just people staying at the lodge. The easy walk meanders along a manmade boardwalk that curves through the forest to keep people from damaging the forest floor of its flora.
Fung In The Forest
During my time in the King Billy forest, I saw no wildlife apart from a few leeches. However, many fungi were growing out of the trees and emerging throughout the mossy ground.
Being a rainforest, there were a few light sprinkles during my walk, so it’s a good idea to bring a light rain jacket and a waterproof cover for your camera. There are a lot of leeches around, so be careful and stay on the lookout! Wear covered shoes with long pants tucked into your socks!
Conservation
Due to the overuse of the wood and logging of these giant trees, there has been a loss of 40% over the past 200 years. Forest fires and climate change have, and continue to have, a negative effect on forests. However, bushfires remain the major potential hazard to forests. Now, 84% of forests in Tasmania are protected areas. King Billy pines are listed as ‘Endangered’ on the Index of Threatened Australian Plant Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.
Reference Links
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-07/king-billy-pines-reveal-tasmanias-history/9022430
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