To Hobart

Todays plan:
Strahan…….🚗…….Queenstown🥞☕️……🚗……Horsetail Falls…..🚗…….Nelsons Falls……🚗………Hamilton…..🚗…….Hobart

It’s raining so no rush….hopefully the weather will improve so load up and we will head to Queenstown. The distance is only 45 km and we will have breakfast at Queenstown station so we can check out the tiny ( yes I said tiny) museum.

Hills surrounding Queenstown are almost naked of vegetation. Processing of and mining of Zinc in the early 1900’s caused plumes of sulphur to pollute the environment and destroyed the vegetation. Tree felling and fire finished off the vegetation.All that was left was the rocky outcrops. There are signs that the soils are building up and vegetation is returning in the crevices between the rocky outcrops. Mining and tourism have bought benefits to the community and the population have embraced this in a series of sculptures depicting events in the area.

The town has retained its country feel with the wide street and elaborate pub architecture. There is even an art deco theatre. 

Mining has influenced all activities in the town and is linked to the railway. Before road transport was established, everything was transported from Strahan by train.

It was the link for the people to the outside world. Distances in this area between settlements are still quite large and even now communication  can be limited. For most of our time there wasn’t even mobile coverage.  Fuel stations are infrequent and may not be manned. If telecommunications go down, you can’t get fuel because your credit card won’t work. There are few other traveller on the road. We could count a one hand the number of cars we passed. 
Just out of Queenstown is Horsetail Falls. Following rain, you can see them from the highway….but we weren’t lazy were we ? ….We walked along the boardwalk to see them ,risking life and limb as it clings to the sides of the mountain. Did you like that drama? Well there is a considerable gap along the edge.  

Not far from the falls  was once a thriving mining town called Linda. All that remains is a coffee shop , a few houses and the ruins of one of the three hotels. Gold ran out. There was a mining disaster where 42 men lost their lives and people started to leave.The coffee was great and the people lovely. They were happy to share the history and old photos which made it so real don’t you think.

More exercise…..you have been sitting for awhile. It says it’s an easy walk to the Nelson Falls. It was worth it , you have to admit.

Get settled, it’s a three hour drive from here to Hobart. You can enjoy the scenery and we may stop briefly in Hamilton. Did you now it has stone buildings that were paid for by making illegal liquor.

Look at that cloud hovering above the valley!

Well the rain has held off…mostly and here we are in Hobart. Get settled and tomorrow we will explore historical parts of Hobart.