Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Services manager says people should take 'modest step' back into natural places

Tasmanians able to return to the state's national parks are being urged not to "go crazy and roam wild" as Coronavirus visiting restrictions are lifted to allow access green areas for exercise.

Since Sunday (10th May), Tasmanians can visit a national park that is within 30 kilometres of their home as long as they continue to observe social distancing.

Under the limited access arrangements, numbers will be limited to groups of two people, not including household members.

With the state's Coronavirus restrictions being eased, Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service General Manager, Jason Jacobi told the ABC that rules would be enforced, stating "it's greater than 30 kilometres, you should not be visiting that park or reserve.

"This will be strictly enforced by Tasmania Police.

"We will also have park rangers out and about providing education and it's really important that people don't use this as an opportunity to go crazy and roam wild."

Jacobi specifically ruled people wanting to head to the top of Hobart's Mount Wellington. When asked if people could drive to the summit he replied "absolutely not", emphasising "please just use this as a chance to take a very modest step back into our wild natural places and not go nuts by driving everywhere."

He said Pinnacle Road remained closed to vehicles, meaning the summit of Mt Wellington was not accessible by a vehicle, adding "the public can however walk or bicycle to the summit using roads, tracks and trails from any entry point in the park, on condition that the distance from their home to the entry point (where they park their car) is not more than 30 kilometres.

"This is a very modest and measured approach that is being put in place by the Director of Public Health and our Premier has been very clear in his messaging that we need to observe social distancing restrictions."

The Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service website has information on many aspects of the new rules, including how to interpret the 30 kilometre restriction.

Sites get lockdown clean-up
While the lifting of restrictions does not include places like cave systems, staff at the Mole Creek caves in northern Tasmania have made the most of their visitor free status over recent weeks undertaking an extensive cleaing operation within the natural attraction.

Advising that staff said they had cleaned paths and handrails and removed rubbish, Parks and Wildlife Service Senior Cave Guide, Haydn Stedman stated "in my memory we've never been able to do one as thorough in the 14 years I've been here,.

"A thorough cave clean is something we can't often do completely around visitation.

"I think most parks are taking advantage of the fact they can get into maintenance that hasn't been a high priority perhaps."

Noting that staff removed a wide variety of rubbish, Stedman added "there's always interesting things left behind," he said.

"The staff have come up with things like false eye lashes, we've had contact lenses, we unearthed a cigarette lighter just recently which is a strange thing to have in a cave, lens caps are a very popular item, and baby dummies aren't unusual either."

Images: Walker in Narawntapu National Park (top, courtesy of Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service/Jess Bonder) and the Mole Creek cave system (below, courtesy of Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service).