Once a year, every year, I make sure to tick off a particular tradition. You and I each have our own. Christmas. Birthdays. The New Year. There’s something we count as a non-negotiable celebration in our lives. I have a few. And one of those is to see the Fagus, Australia’s only cold-climate deciduous tree and native to Tasmania. Once a year, generally around the end of April, the fagus turns into the brilliant yellows and oranges it’s so famous for. If you’re lucky, you may even find some deep reds. This whole process is often referred to as “The Turning of the Fagus”, and is truly as beautiful as the stories make it out to be.

Where Can I Find Fagus?

I’ve found that the best place to see the Fagus is at Tarn Shelf, Mount Field National Park. Can you see it elsewhere? Definitely. It’s located all around the state. Have I found it elsewhere? Not yet. I haven’t ventured for fagus outside of Tarn Shelf since I first started my annual tradition back in 2018. I do know the Dove Lake Circuit at Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park has reliable displays of the turning every year.

It comes down to where you’re located at the end of April each year. If you’re at the northern end of Tasmania, try the Dove Lake Circuit. If you’re down South, then Mount Field National Park will be best suited for you.

Behind the still:

Elijah and I began our adventure on April 1st, 2019, much too soon for the fagus. We both wanted to observe the fagus together and couldn’t find a time towards the end of April to make the trip. The first day of the month had to do. Caffeinated beverages worked their magic as we departed Hobart. Early mornings never get easier.

After an hour of travel, we arrived at the Mount Field Visitor Centre, stretched our legs and drove the final leg of the journey to Lake Dobson Car Park. If we had more time, we would have walked the Three Falls Circuit as well. Russell Falls, Horseshoe Falls and Lady Barren Falls are all worth seeing for their own beauty, but on this occasion, we had to give it a miss. There wasn’t any fagus to be found on this walk.

Upon arriving, we quickly packed our bags with the necessary camera equipment. I was rocking a Sony A7iii (for video) and Canon 6D (for stills). Elijah also had a Canon 6D mounted with his 70-200mm f/2.8. I planned to only use the Canon for this trip and have the Sony as a backup in case I wanted any video. I didn’t often record video back in 2019. My laptop was 7 years old and could fry an egg if you did anything more than word processing on it. It got HOT. Anyway, in hindsight, I’m glad I brought it because it was the tool that allowed me to capture Amongst the Trees.

As we were walking up to Tarn Shelf, we passed the ski fields and began winding up towards the board walk that leads into the shelf. We were almost there as my shoe lace came untied. I bent down to tie my laces and as I returned to eye level, I noticed the trees were arched, forming a tunnel of sorts. Those on the left were leaning right, and those on the right were leaning left. If you weren’t looking for it, you’d walk right past. I just so happened to be at tying shoe laces and found myself here by mistake.

The satisfying click of the shutter broke through the still air.

I instantly found myself analysing and critiquing the image. Where was the sunset? Warm golden colours beaming across the horizon. Obviously not here. Not every image can be taken at golden hour, and not every image should be. Those moments are great, but the world has other stories to tell. Today, this one was told under the overcast skies of Southern Tasmania.

Moments later we found ourselves at the shelf. There really wasn’t a lot of fagus about. We knew it. We came anyway. Sometimes you just have to make the journey regardless. That’s half the fun. You don’t always know what to expect. Sometimes you do, and your expectations become a reality. Ours did here when we realised we were indeed too early for the turning. On some occasions, you may be met with something truly beautiful. Today happened to be one of those days as well.