Para/Hang Gliding

Given its moderate temperate climate, it is not surprising that paragliding in Tasmania does not produce world-record flights. Tasmanian paragliding distance records have not yet passed 100km (60 miles). But you don’t come down here for ‘big’ flying. More like a pleasant holiday with some picturesque sight-seeing thrown in.

But the locals who paraglide love to push the limits and see what can be achieved anyway. One record flight in Tasmania was made from Jews Hill, near the town of Brighton. The pilot launched from a slope soaring site, scratched around for a while in patchy slope lift but eventually got away in a thermal. He progressed inland, catching more thermals and managing to get up to 1000m (3,300ft) altitude. That was enough, plenty in fact, for a wide river crossing with no tailwind assistance. Then it was up to 1200m (3,900ft), encountering some wind shear on the way up. The wind direction at the top of the thermal was in the opposite direction to the surface wind!

Paragliding sites

Eaglehawk Neck

Mount Rowland

Mount Wedge

Mount Wellington

Tunbridge Tiers

Twelve Trees Ridge

Winton Hill – Brighton

Don Heads