The Western Explorer Road is a long gravel track across the empty heart of north-west Tasmania, and in its highland stretches it passes through a landscape that looks like the surface of another planet. Buttongrass moorland rolls out in every direction, an orange-brown mat of sedges stained by tannins and burned by lightning in the dry years, with low ridges and quartzite outcrops sticking out like bones. There are no villages, no farms and, in many places, no trees, and the sky is huge.
The road was pushed through in stages over the late twentieth century to link the north-west coast with the west, partly to serve the mines and partly to open up the wilderness, and it still carries only a trickle of traffic. In wet weather the surface is slippery clay and standing water, and in dry weather it is dusty gravel with corrugations that can shake a bike hard. Riders usually choose dual-sport machines or well-set-up adventure bikes, and travel it with a little more patience than they would on tarmac. Rain can arrive at any time of year and with little warning, and the temperature on the plateau, even in summer, can be cold enough to need a thick layer.
The area lies on the edge of the Tarkine and not far from the Savage River, where an old iron ore mine and a slurry pipeline cut through the forest. The contrast between wilderness and industry is part of the story of the region, and the debates about mining and conservation here have been hard fought for decades. A short way down the road is Corinna, a former gold-mining settlement on the Pieman River, where a small barge carries vehicles across the water. It is a lovely old place with a handful of cottages and a cafe, but check the operating times of the crossing before you plan your day.
Wildlife is abundant if you slow down and look. Wedge-tailed eagles circle over the open ground, wallabies and pademelons graze on the verges, and in the quiet hours of dusk and dawn you may spot a Tasmanian devil or a quoll. They tend to appear on the road at the worst moment, so keep your speed modest.
Smithton to the north and Zeehan to the south are the practical stops. Carry water, tools, a tyre repair kit and some food, and let someone know your plan. It is a magnificent road for those who prepare for it, and an unforgiving one for those who do not.