Tasmania is Australia’s smallest and only island state and while it’s permanent population is just under 600,000, this unique island packs a powerful punch. It’s in the path of the Roaring Forties and has diverse natural environments covering everything from golden sandy beaches to sea cliffs, rolling hills and hundreds of rugged peaks. It is a dream location for adventurers, hikers, nature lovers and photographers worldwide. But are any of those hundreds of peaks actual mountains? That’s a question Bill Wilkinson pondered for many years before finding inspiration in Scotland’s Munros. Settling on mathematical criteria, Bill was left with 158 Tasmanian peaks that are now known as The Abel Mountains. These Mountains are a treasure trove of adventure for a growing list of individuals who aim to summit all 158. It’s a worthy and long term quest spanning many years to savour the challenge. This growing popularity raises questions on the accessibility of The Abels and the skills and experience needed to complete their summits. Most importantly however, is the question of the sustainability of increased visitors and the necessity for this to be successfully managed to protect the pristine and unique natural environments of The Abels. It is this goal shared by many current Abel explorers and Tasmanian natural environment Management Authorities for protection in the face of popularity that will be interrogated during the “Exploring the Ables” series.
Story telling is a lifelong passion and after 30+ years experience as a journalist, I was finally in a position to ‘return to school’ and gain an accelerated degree in Film and Television to pursue my long time dream to make documentary. My years as a journalist honed my story senses and instincts. My Biripi heritage instilled in me a love of and respect for our natural world from early childhood and the need to protect and look after it for all of mankind. It also taught me to recognise a good story. This is my second long form project. The first was a feature documentary on a young man I met by chance in 2017. I immediately ask if I could make a documentary and that was the start of a three-year journey, completing a micro-budget, self-funded feature documentary. ‘To The Stars- Beginning” followed Gilmour Space Technologies design and build their One Vision Rocket and Mobile Launcher. This was a priceless experience as I learnt my documentary craft from concept to completion.
