Exploring the abandoned Dismal Swamp visitor centre, left to be claimed by nature and vandalism.
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Published 2024-02-16
A once very popular but now abandoned and derelict tourist attraction hidden behind locked gates in the Tarkine forests of Northwest Tasmania.
All signage was removed and if you hadn’t been there in its heydays, you wouldn’t know it was there at all.
Dismal Swamp first opened in 2014, owned by the state government and operated by Forestry Tasmania, I’ve heard that it’s now in the hands of Parks and Wildlife.
The adventure parks life was short lived and was a casualty of Covid19 and financial difficulties, closing in 2019.
It featured an amazing architectural visitor information centre and cafe on a platform above the forest, with a 110 metre slide down into the rainforest below, where there were walkways through the swamp featuring artwork, that may still be lost in the forest or possibly removed.
The site is quickly being reclaimed by Mother Nature and has been subject to very heavy and senseless vandalism in recent times. Every bit of glass in the building has been smashed, doors kicked in, and any equipment in the building trashed. Why people get their frills from doing this is beyond me, they must be very sad individuals.
When I was there today wandering around, it felt very remote and lonely, it was sad thinking back to when we visited the place several years ago when it was still operating and bustling with people. Today apart from a black snake and the birds singing, there was no one else around.
There has been a lot of media attention about the abandoned venue lately, and the government is talking about repurposing it, but sadly I think it’s going to be sitting empty for a long time while being handballed around government departments, hopefully not getting more trashed in the meantime.
Today’s excursion (6 hour round trip) was in the planning for a long time, but I thought I’d better get down there now before it was locked down or demolished, who knows what is planned for the site, but with the attention it’s now getting, it’s only a matter of time before something happens to it.
I couldn’t find the old track down into the swamp today to check out the artwork/sculptures as it’s all but overgrown, and after seeing a snake near the entrance I wasn’t keen to bush bash my way down. Might have to go back another day and clamber down the slide.
All Comments (13)
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I remember working on it back in 2003/4 can't comprehend why spend millions of dollars to build it only to shut it down to be smashed up by vandalism
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What a shame. Could be turned into something, even as a minimal centre without all the slides etc. Gosh, into overnight stays. My biggest hate, is why people smash and destroy buildings like this.
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Beautiful. LIKE bottom pressed.
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Sad they closed it down. I wonder why? Always wanted to do the slide down.
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thanks and greetings from riverside 7250... expose the truth
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I remember going there , but did not go down the slide, though there was a 90 year old man went down while we there . Yeah , No !!!!!😅 Lovely place I was devastated when I heard it had been closed
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Parks and Wildlife. Homeless Tasmanians.
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Will all the world be like this sometime? Greenery taking over again.
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I'll watch in the morning, as I'm off to crash, plus youtube only has it at 720p, but I'm looking forward to it 🍻🍻🇦🇺🤝🇦🇺
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dismal as in dismay, the name speaks for itself
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Defies logic.
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Why someone would trash it to that extent is beyond me, probably some greenie mob wanting it to stay closed
