Almanac Travel: Traversing Tasmania

 

When I was in year 11, I chose Outdoor Education as an elective subject. The classes were a mix of outdoor activities, camps and learning about environmental history/politics. I learnt about the formation of the South West National Park, in Tasmania. I have had a fascination with Tasmania ever since. My mum took my sister and I to Hobart and surrounds on several occasions when we were young. I also went to King Island, where my family is originally from, on an extended family trip in 2007. My wife and I had our honeymoon in Tasmania as well where we visited Cradle Mountain National Park. But none of these trips went to the South West National Park. It was my plan that one day, I’d go there.

 

The south west of Tasmania, up until the 1960s, had no roads or developments. It was a corner of the state untouched by European settlement. Of course, the area had a long indigenous history, but few white people had been there. At the centre of the south west was a vast inland lake, called Lake Pedder. In 1955, the Lake Pedder National Park was declared. That status changed in 1972 when Lake Pedder was dammed, for a hydro electric development. Since then, the dam site has sat within the boundaries of a renamed and much larger South West National Park which is Tasmania’s largest national park. Ever since learning about this place in high school, I had wanted to go there. In 2017, my wife and I made a second trip.

 

We had decided to really do Tasmania, taking our car on the Spirit of Tasmania. We arrived in Devonport, then headed for Launceston, staying overnight in nearby Prospect Vale. We walked along the Tamar River and took in the views.

 

 

Then we visited the site of Australia’s first ever hydroelectric development, at Duck Reach. which is now a museum. Then we drove along the east coast, stopping in Swansea, Bicheno and Orford. Before spending most of a week in Hobart. Then the plan was to drive to Strathgordon, in the South West National Park.

 

The Gordon River Road, was originally established in the 1960s, for workers building the Lake Pedder dam. This is the only access road in or out of Strathgordon. And it is now used by people wanting to explore the national park. It is an 85 kilometre drive, that passes forests, mountains and hills. Strathgordon itself is very small. From memory, there is one accommodation, and then just buildings to do with running the dam.

 

 

We had planned on doing more walks. However some of those walks were further away that would have required driving. So, instead we based what we did out of Strathgordon. In the morning, we did some kayaking on the Lake Pedder dam. Without getting too much into the politics of it, the Lake Pedder dam, is far from a dead lake. Nor is it an eye sore. Sure, it’s not the original lake, but marine life does live in it.  We had a pleasant enough morning paddling to the various sandy shores, that we had to ourselves, with no-one else around.

 

 

Later that same day, we summited a two-hour hill walk. I took some photos from up there.

 

 

Admittedly, we could have spent more time in Strathgordon, then we could have done more of the walks, and done more exploring. We left the area and headed back up Tasmania again. Through Strahan, Queenstown, Stanley, Burnie and back to Devonport. It was by far the longest time I have been in Tasmania, and we’d like to return again one day.

 

Attached are some paintings I did. The first is based on a photograph I took in the South West National Park. The other, is of what Lake Pedder looked like before the dam was built.

 

 

 

 

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