Golden Tapestry: The Turning of the Fagus

As the autumn breeze sweeps across the rugged Tasmanian landscape, it ushers in a transformation unlike any other. The once verdant hillsides give way to a sea of gold, as the fabled Fagus tree transforms the hillscapes into a tapestry of colour. The Turning of the Fagus – historically named – is a time of year that the indigenous, locals and visitors alike hold dear, as they bask in the natural beauty of the island state and its deep connection to the changing of the seasons.

As a recent visitor to Cradle Mountain-Lake St. Clair in April of this year, and an avid photographer of landscapes, we were fortunate to witness this phenomenon. Naturally, I packed my Norite Backpack for this trip, and knew I would need my Essentials Filter Kit Plus+ in tow.

The experience was nothing short of awe-inspiring — the sheer intensity of the colours, the way they seemed to dance in the light, was like nothing I had ever seen before.

The Fagus, the deciduous beech, is a unique tree and grows only in Tasmania, or lutruwita as indigenously named. It is one of the few deciduous trees in Australia and turns a beautiful shade of gold and red in the autumn months — and occurs only in unburnt land. For the indigenous Palawa people of lutruwita, the Fagus has a deep-rooted cultural history and is believed to have survived since the Gondwanan age. Resourcefully, they would use the bark of the Fagus to make baskets, while the leaves were used for medicinal purposes.

As we continued to explore the region, I found myself and my camera frequently drawn to the stillness that set over the land. Whether traversing forests or coastlines or simply taking in the panoramic views from atop one of the many peaks, there was always a sense of connection to something greater.

In a world that is so often dominated by technology and urbanisation, it's easy to forget the raw, scenic beauty that exists in pockets of the world — oftentimes closer to home than you think. But the turning of the Fagus, for me, served as a poignant reminder of the beauty that remains, and of the deep connection that exists between the Earth and its people – if we choose to see it.

Discover more about the value of indigenous wisdom in protecting the environment here or ways to travel more sustainably here on Urth Magazine.