Melaleuca
Lagoon is the remote,
water-locked gateway to Tasmania’s Southwest Wilderness World
Heritage Area. Located at the western terminus of the South Coast Track, it serves as the primary arrival point for hikers flying into the wilderness from
Hobart.
The lagoon is a shallow, sheltered extension of
Bathurst Harbour, which itself is part of the massive Port Davey marine system. The
water is famously "tea-colored" (dark brown) due to high concentrations of tannins leached from the surrounding button grass plains.
The lagoon is framed by striking quartzite mountains, most notably
Mount Beattie and Mount Rugby which offer panoramic
views over the intricate waterways and white-sand beaches of the harbor.