More than 900 metres up in the wild highlands of Tasmania, on the edge of the windswept Central Plateau lies the Walls of Jerusalem National Park, a stunning tract of the State's World Heritage Area.

Once the haunt only of escaped convicts and wallaby trappers, the Walls of Jerusalem today attracts dedicated bushwalkers, photographers and families who appreciate the area's blend of stark magnificence and fragile delicacy.

It's not especially easy to get to the Walls. Most people drive through the small towns of Deloraine and Mole Creek, passing through a towering stand of eucalypts before arriving at a small car park. Here the three hour walk begins with a long steep section that will soon cruelly remind you about all those gym visits you'd been putting off recently. The torture over, you arrive at the park's first delight, a picture perfect chain of tiny clear lakes called Solomon's Jewels.

On a mild sunny afternoon these jewels live up to their name, sparkling like sapphires set in the deep green of the pencil pine forests surrounding them. Now and then you spot a brightly coloured tent pitched nearby. Solomon's Jewels in itself would be a superb walking and photo destination, but just over that ridge up ahead is much, much more.

After you've crossed Wild Dog Creek (probably the only non Biblical name in these parts) the trail rises once again as you approach Herod's Gate, a pass between two looming rock formations. Less than a kilometre further and you come across the exclamation point shaped Lake Salome.

On your right, the West Wall towers some 300 metres above you and ahead is another mountain they call the Temple. You have just arrived in the heart of the Walls of Jerusalem.

The first impression here is that you're in a cathedral without a ceiling. Bushwalkers call this natural basin The Amphitheatre. Although it's the best camping spot in the Walls, camping is now forbidden inside the Amphitheatre due to environmental damage. Around the edges, in the shadows of the walls, stand groves of 300 year old pencil pines, an incredibly hardy species that somehow makes it through the howling sub zero of the highland's winter.

Just above Lake Salome, on the edge of the Pool of Siloam, is an especially attractive grove. Because of the danger of wiping out these rare and ancient trees, no fires are allowed, even though on a relatively mild day in April, the temperatures here are icy, especially when the sun dips behind the mountains.

Late afternoon is an ideal time to explore and photograph the park's beauty. The harsh greys of the rock are softened and the lakes and forests are bathed in gentle light.

This is also the time to spot the wallabies and pademelons grazing timidly on the alpine scrub. Now and then a wombat will amble insouciantly across your path. Tasmanian Devils are here too, but consider yourself lucky if you see one.

On the park's south east side is Dixon's Kingdom Hut, to which you can retire if the weather turns unexpectedly nasty. Rangers constantly caution bushwalkers here to carry warm waterproof clothing, even in summer.

If the steep access trail from the west doesn't appeal to you, then try hiking from the southeast. Drive to Lake Ada, walk along a disused four wheel drive track to Lake Fanny, then set out across the heath. You'll need at least 6 hours and a good compass and map to get to the Walls this way, but it's flat walking and fairly secluded.

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