Chauncy Vale Conservation Area

In the hills near Bagdad, north of Hobart, this quiet sanctuary was set aside in 1946 by the children's author Nan Chauncy and her family, one of Tasmania's oldest private conservation areas. Dry forest and rocky ridges rise above a valley threaded with walking tracks, among them the gentle Wombat Woodland Walk, and native wildlife is often about in the cooler hours. The family's home, Day Dawn cottage, still stands as a small museum. Managed by Southern Midlands Council; open daily, entry by donation.