The Tarkine region of northwest Tasmania contains the largest expanse of temperate rainforest in the southern hemisphere.

Here, hidden deep in river valleys and wild uplands, huge myrtle trees are festooned with epiphytes and mosses, and in their cool shade thrive an understory of tree ferns. These forests are ancient - they once covered much of Australia, and date as far back as the time of the dinosaurs and the primordial supercontinent of Gondwana.

Our recording begins at daybreak, with birdsong drifting between the trees. Moving deeper into the forest, we pause by a rippling stream, and witness Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos calling as they fly overhead.

But there is much more to the Tarkine region than the rainforests - vast areas of it are actually open heathlands and buttongrass plains. We hear the vibrant song of Cresecent Honeyeaters and Flame Robins drifting over these open landscapes.

Finally we come down the wild coast, where the roaring 40s gust in off the open ocean. At a location known as The Edge of the World, we face west with giant breakers rolling ashore. At this latitude, there is no other landfall westwards until South America's Patagonia - that other fragment of ancient Gondwana.

We hope this soundscape, recorded in the diverse habitats of Tasmania's Tarkine, will give you a feeling for this unique wild place.

Sadly, this region is under imminent threat of mining. There are currently 11 applications for large, open-cut developments pending, which the government seems intent upon passing regardless of any environmental or social consequences.

Hence we've made this album freely available, so you can hear the wild voices of the Tarkine speak for themselves, and get a sense of what is at stake.