Around 80 novelty letterboxes adorn the sides of a 25km stretch of road from near Forth to past Wilmot in the north-west of Tasmania. Known as the Wilmot Letterbox Trail, this drive takes you through beautiful farmlands and breathtaking valley views. The scenery is spectacular and that alone is worth the trip.
However, it is the quirky letterboxes that also capture the eye. Not every property has a decoration outside, so it is the alert eye that spies the prizes. I ventured out of a beautiful Tasmanian spring morning, packed lunch and drinks in the car, ready for adventure. There is only one store to purchase food from on the trail, at Wilmot. However, it was closed when I arrived at 2pm on a Tuesday, so prepare ahead. The drive took me around four hours as I stopped to admire each decorated letterbox and to take photographs. I also took a detour to the Lake Barrington picnic area. With undercover shelter, gas barbeques and wonderful views of Lake Barrington, this was a perfect stop for lunch. Nearby are the Forth Falls, but that is an adventure for another day.
People have asked which was my favourite. That is so hard to decide as they are all beautiful in their individuality. If I had to choose one, it would be the Dalek. I am a Doctor Who fan after all.
Unable to locate any information on the talented inventors of the letterboxes or of the boxes themselves, I was left to admire and appreciate the skills, time and effort that went into creating each one. Many had been made with recycled materials.
The motorbikes were interesting, especially the one made out of old tyres.
Or just a lone helmet can serve as a letterbox.
Old farm equipment that has long passed its original purpose now has a new lease of life.
Outside the plumbers house stands a letterbox adorned with old plumbing tools.
This is the country so of course there were animal designs. The horse is COVID safe with his mask on. That brought a smile to my face.
The Tasmanian Tiger gets a look in too.
It is worth getting out and looking at the boxes, not just looking as you pass by. This cow with the magestic Mt Rowland in the background, when looked from a different angle, is a mother feeding her calf.
One letterbox duo deserves a look from a different angle too. At first I thought it was a bit x-rated! Maybe it is just me.
Often there were grouping of letterboxes.
Flowers were also a blossoming theme.
What I loved were that some were simple and basic and others extremely complex, each with its own beauty. It didn't matter if it was a simple design, the fact that people had taken time to place something on the trail is appreciated.
There were even a few military inspired letterboxes.
The guardian of the drive was garbed in favourite football colours. (I heard he changes clothing depending on the season and occassion).
This drive reminded me a great deal of the Tin Horse Highway near Kulin in Western Australia. Click here to read about that amazing drive. The clever and talented people that create these impressive sculptures have my thanks for making country drives even more impressive. I hope my photos not only allow the reader to appreciate the letterboxes, but also the rural beauty of this part of Tasmania.
On the Wilmot letterbox trail, there is room to pull off the road when inspecting the letterboxes, so keep safe and enjoy the views!
You can also check out this video on youtube click here.
Happy Travels!
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