As an ultra runner, I’ve had the privilege of running through some of the most magical places on Earth, including European alpine trails, African deserts and US mountain ranges. But nothing compares to takayna / Tarkine. Tucked away in the northwest of Tasmania, takayna is one of the last truly wild places in the world. It’s a rugged expanse of ancient rainforest, button grass plains, wild rivers and dramatic coastline. The beauty is raw, untamed and deeply spiritual. You don’t just run through it, you run with it. You feel time stretching out behind you.
My name is Richard and I’m the Wholesale Manager at Pablo & Rusty’s. This was P&R’s third year sponsoring the Tarkine Ultra 65k, and my third year participating and it felt more meaningful than ever. A team from Pablo & Rusty’s, including our founder Saxon Wright, came together to take on the challenge. We weren’t just there to run, we were there to stand for something.
As a major sponsor of the event, Pablo & Rusty’s brought our values to the trails (and a little refreshment, too). Over the weekend, we sponsored Pourtables and our drip bag filter coffee, so everyone had easy access to convenient specialty brews. At the finish line, we handed out our Oat Milk Lattes in a can, which quickly became the most popular post race recovery drink. Cold, smooth, thirst quenching (and a little caffeinated!). They hit the spot after hours of punishing terrain. One runner called it “the best thing I’ve ever tasted after an ultra.” We’ll take that.
Coffee aside, why we were really there was to once again help protect one of the most ecologically and culturally significant places on the planet.
A forest with a 60 million year history
The takayna / Tarkine region is one of the last remaining strongholds of cool temperate Gondwanan rainforest. It’s home to ancient trees that trace their lineage back over a million years, direct descendants of the forest that once blanketed the supercontinent of Gondwana. Some of the trees themselves are more than 3,000 years old.
Huon Pine, Myrtle Beech, King Billy Pine and Leatherwood grow thick in these forests. It is, quite literally, a living time capsule. One of the few places on Earth where this kind of ancient ecosystem still breathes.
But this place is under constant threat.
Despite its global significance and being the home of many endangered species like the Tasmania Devil, the Swift Parrot and the Masked Owl, large parts of the Tarkine continue to be logged, mined and replaced with monoculture plantations. These plantations are dry, flammable and fragile compared to native forests. When climate change brings heatwaves and dry lightning, it’s these plantations that ignite and burn fast. This summer, over 100,000 hectares of takayna were scorched by bushfires. It’s a devastating loss.
It’s a harsh reminder of what’s at stake and why events like the Tarkine Ultra exist.
The race: Brutal, beautiful and worth every step
Because of the bushfires, the first section of the traditional course was inaccessible and the route had to be changed. We began in darkness at 5:45am, headlamps cutting through the mist as we dropped into a deep gorge. The silence was thick, the air cool and still. Descending to the bottom and climbing all the way back out before sunrise was humbling and surreal.
From there, we hit a long road section that led to a steep 10 kilometre downhill. This was followed by two kilometres of running through a freezing river, water rushing around our legs, shocking tired muscles awake. Along the way, we passed the remnants of old mining operations: rusted structures, collapsed shafts and the scarred earth left behind. Physical evidence of how this rainforest has already suffered.
Then came the real climb, a steep winding ascent into what locals call “The Jungle Gym.” This part of the Tarkine feels like a dreamscape. Fallen trees, hundreds of years old, lie blanketed in moss. Giant ferns curl into the track. The trail narrows and winds through the thick undergrowth beneath an ancient canopy. Every breath feels like a connection to the past.
We pushed on through Philosophers Falls and into a two kilometre stretch of chest high button grass. It looks soft from afar, but it’s an exhausting trudge. 30km’s done and we turned around. The return leg, now mostly uphill, began to break runners down. Back through the river, then up the endless 10 kilometre climb that always tests the best.
And just when we thought it was over, we were ushered past the finish line to head back into the gorge for one final out and back. It was torture. Beautiful, wild torture.
And then finally, the real finish line.
Waiting there was Bob Brown himself. A hug from Bob as we crossed was both grounding and inspiring. This race is about endurance, but also about purpose and he reminded us of that.
There, just beyond the finish line, were our coolers stacked with Oat Milk Lattes. Runners reached for them with tired hands and grateful smiles. Crew, volunteers and finishers alike raved about the “cold coffee magic.”
$413,000 raised for a forest worth saving
This year’s Tarkine Ultra raised an incredible $413,000 for the Bob Brown Foundation. These funds will support the fight to protect takayna from further logging and mining, push for World Heritage listing, drive climate activism and campaign for the rightful return of this land to its Aboriginal custodians.
At Pablo & Rusty’s, our passion for coffee is matched by our passion for protecting the planet that makes great coffee and wild places possible. That’s why we are proud to be a long time sponsor of the Tarkine Ultra and why we will keep showing up.
Because some places are too sacred to lose.
And some efforts are worth running for.
