West Tasmania Region

Abstract

The west coast of TAS is the most exposed on the Australian coast. It has a humid cool temperate climate and is exposed to the full force of the Southern Ocean westerly waves and winds which batter the predominately rocky shore. The 700 km long coast extends from Tasmania’s southern tip at South East Cape to the northwestern tip at Woolnorth Point and includes the western coast of King Island. It is a sparcely developed coast, with the southern half located in national parks and conservation areas and little development elsewhere. A few small rivers reach the coast and sediment and are predominately quartz-rich. Waves average 2–4 m, and tides are micro resulting in entirely wave-dominated beaches. Most beaches are embayed between rocky sections and average only 0.6 km in length, with many also sheltered in rocky bays resulting in lower-energy beach states. Barriers back a quarter of the rocky shore and are predominately transgressive dunes with a few small regressive systems in sheltered areas. This chapter described the coast, its beaches, barriers, sediment transport and sediment compartments.