Few locations do it perfectly, many fail completely and occasions where all parties are happy are as frequent as ice ages.

However, credit should go for making an attempt.

The far North-West of Tasmania has long walked that precarious path, and few places more publicly and controversially so than the Tarkine. The area is home to abundant forestry and mineral resources but also huge appeal for tourists. Traditionally, these are not comfortable bedfellows.

After years of debating the possibility of developing the region, there is now much to attract the casual sight-seer, whether from interstate or elsewhere in Tasmania.

The Tarkine Drive is heavily promoted by tourism operations at home and overseas and, while a bit hit-and-miss, offers plenty of reasons to venture beyond the familiar townships and attractions.

"Head off the beaten track and into the wilderness," declares the Discover Tasmania website. "There's plenty to do in the area, whether it is admiring the splendour of tall trees and graceful rivers in silent rainforests, or getting up close to a curious cow," adds discoverthetarkine.com.au.

Meanwhile Canada's happiestoutdoors.ca states: "If you're looking for a day (or three) of outdoorsy adventure in Tasmania, you've got to try the Tarkine Drive."

Mobile phone coverage and petrol stations are equally elusive, so sensible planning is essential.

Beginning and ending in Smithton, the full loop is more than 200 kilometres long and takes in much of the West Coast including its standout highlights of Arthur River and The Edge of the World - perhaps the most accurately-named viewpoint in the state.

However, a shorter version is available, beginning and ending in Trowutta and easily achievable in a day.

The experience was not unlike watching one of the region's finest sporting products, Matthew Richardson, in his prime: unpredictable, occasionally off target but truly spectacular when on the mark.

Trowutta Arch represents the money shot.

Formed when two sinkholes collapsed, one is full of water and a surreal sight through the remaining archway. The 30-minute return walk is made even easier by a well-constructed track.

The Julius River rainforest walk was also delightful and had clearly benefitted from substantial investment with bridges, walkways and platforms aplenty while the Sumac Lookout provided a splendid view of the Arthur River and surrounding cool temperate rain forest.

However, many of the other suggested stopovers weren't exactly in the same league and rather smacked of tokenism.

Three of them (Tayatea, Rapid River and Kanunnah) were bridges which successfully linked both sides of rivers in road form. Impressive stuff, if you're into bridges.

The 15-minute Milkshake Hills forest walk took half that and was rather lacking in forest, at least of the unspoilt variety, while the access road to Dempster Plains Lookout boasted potholes deep enough to lose small vehicles in.

Sinkhole Lookout brought to mind former Premier Robin Gray's infamous and ignorant "leech-ridden ditch" description of the Franklin River and as Lake Chisholm promised another flooded sinkhole and unreliable access road we opted to skip it.

A lot of the circuit did feel a bit like a Forestry Tasmania propaganda drive but clearly a lot of money had gone into it.

And as nearly every other vehicle we passed was either a hire car, campervan or had interstate plates, it appears to be paying off.