Frank and I discussed our plans for a short trip around Tasmania with the limited time I had left. We were going to go to Lake Pedder, which has claims for the biggest freshwater lake in Australia. However, there is only one way in and out, so we decided to skip it this time. So we decided to drive, in the car I hired, directly to Queenstown from Triabunna.
The drive was quite interesting. Of note was the relatively dry eastern side of Tasmania compared to the lush western side. New Norfolk, Hamilton, Ouse and Derwent Bridge were places we drove through on our way. We also went off track to grab a bite to eat at Bronte Park, but we we were glad that we changed our minds and had lunch further on at “The Hungry Wombat Cafe” in Derwent Bridge. They had the best hamburgers that I have tasted for a long time, if not for ever. Frank was impressed too.
After lunch we backtracked a few kms to “The Wall In The Wilderness”. Frank has seen the wall before, but it had progressed a fair deal since his last visit. Essentially, Greg Duncan has carved 3 metre high panels of wood (mostly from the rare Huon Pine) with a chisel. The wall is expected to be 100 metres in length when it is completely finished. Unfortunately, camera’s were not permitted at the wall, but if you want to see a glimpse of a portion of it you can see it at The Wall Official Page.
The last time I traveled to Queenstown was as a kid with my parents in 1978. I remembered that the drive after passing the Iron Blow was very windy with a steep drop. It was quite a scary drive back then in the back of the car and it was again this time too. I also remember that Queenstown did not have any grass or trees due to the surrounding mines and acid rain. However, Queenstown has changed quite a bit since then. It still has the old mining town feel about it, but there are plenty of trees and green grass there now. Below are some photos of the greener Queenstown.
A view of Mount Lyell taken next to the Abt train station at Queenstown
A photo of the Paragon Theatre in Queenstown with Mount Owen in the background
A view of some bald mountains taken from the road out of Queenstown
One of the main attractions at Queenstown now is the Abt Railway steam train that travels to and from Strahan. We went on that trip during Australia Day, which turned out to be a bonus, but I shall post about that adventure in the next post. It was certainly a day I shall remember.
3 responses so far ↓
1 Thelma Stephens // Feb 9, 2011 at 5:29 am
Things certainly look greener than last time we were there
2 Thelma // Feb 9, 2011 at 6:08 am
If ever you get the opportunity to do so, I recommend that you visit Cradle Mountain in the center of the North Coast. Dove Lake at the base of the mountain is quite attractive and there is a relatively easy walking track around it. The scenery can be excellent, especially after some rain when the waterfalls can be quite spectacular.
For the more fit and adventurous people, there are tracks up and around the lake, and for hikers who may plan to venture through to Lake Saint Clair. I would love to do this stunning trip that takes several days.
3 Bryan // Feb 9, 2011 at 10:39 am
Yes, the change in greenery in Queenstown since our last visit was certainly a pleasant surprise for me.
I shall be doing a post, including some photos of Dove lake and Cradle Mountain, so keep a lookout for it soon. I was limited in the time available at Cradle Mountain, but could see the beauty of the area. I would love to do a longer hike there sometime.
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