Strahan, Queenstown & Surrounds


On Tuesday the 13th Feb, having left Derwent Bridge we wanted a caravan park stay at least for a night but Queenstown and Strahan were full. I am kicking myself that we did not stay at Lake Burbury which is just before Queenstown. It wasn’t a caravan park but it was a beautiful spot and such a nice afternoon. But we had some reception/communication problems with the van parks and with Kay & Derek so we wound up going to Zeehan and staying in the bush camp caravan park there. A big storm hit through the night and following morning. We were now on the west coast of Tazzie and we were starting to see why it is referred to as the wild west coast, not just for the weather but for the windy and hilly roads.

Left the van park and drove to Strahan in the morning. Kay and Derek were there already having stayed at the campground at the golf course at Strahan. They sorted out where we would stay for the next few days at Strahan. It is great having someone else doing some of the planning and research. Normally I bear the load of that.  So we then went into the Strahan Holiday Retreat for $22 per night camping but also hook up to water, which is more necessary than power. We were also able to use the camp kitchen to charge devices.

We booked in for the Wilderness Railway, Rainforest trip for the same day. Kay and Derek had booked earlier so when we made a last moment decision to book, the staff were very helpful in getting us seated together. After lunch and shopping we boarded the train and departed at 2.15pm. This railway line was built by a man named Kelly who in the early 1800s had sealed the ownership of rich mountains of copper at what is now Queenstown. He was able to use the King River which has its mouth at the Macquarie Harbour at Strahan to supply the workers and engineers, and their families who were building the railway. They would ship material and supplies to Macquarie Harbour and barge them up the King River as far as they could where the train line started. Strahan was not a town at that stage.

Kelly was one of the most determined men I have heard of. All of the engineers and surveyors who he employed to find a way to put the rail line through told him that it could not be done. The terrain was to rough and it was impossible. He brought them all into a room and asked them one by one if they could find a way. He sacked every one of them who told him it could not be done. Those that still had a job set to work to find a way and they did.

The train left Strahan. The track follows the King River as mentioned before. As we went closer to Queenstown the river turned to an orange colour because of the iron in the soil that was all loosened because of the mining at Queenstown so when it rains the rusty iron soil leaches into the river. It does not damage Macquarie Harbour and it is lessening apparently.






At the first stop the engine had to take on water. At the halfway mark to Queenstown which was where we had to turn around the engine was put onto a turn table and spun around by hand and then took its place at the head of the carriages again for the return trip.












In this shot you can see the rack inclusion between the tracks. This is part of the rack and pinion system which is needed to drag the train up the steep incline to Queenstown. I would love to have seen that in action but we had booked the ‘Rainforest’ part of the trip, not the ‘Rack and Gorge’ trip which would have us going from the halfway point to Queenstown.


This bridge was sourced, from England I think, and it was disassembled and shipped there. They reassembled the bridge but then had a problem as there was no means of putting the bridge in place. They then worked out that they could get barges and float the forward end across while the back end would be rolled/dragged and they got it into place.






After the train trip we had a meal at the pub near the train station. A little ordinary but a good night. The next day Kay & Derek went on the Gordon River Cruise but we decided to postpone going on the cruise as it was a raining and overcast day and we had the time to do it later. Instead Linda and I took a drive to Queenstown. The town is really showing its age and it looks pretty drab, probably even in good weather, but this was wet and overcast to make things worse. The hill above the town looks terrible because of the mining done there but vegetation is starting to grow and there are hopes that over time it will improve.



However, there are some cool thing around to have a look at. We took a drive to Nelson Falls which is 25km back towards Derwent Bridge. Because we had been having so much rain the water was bucketing over the falls. It was quite spectacular and was creating a strong wind which was freezing.




This is a photo that Derek took a few days earlier of Nelson Falls before the rain started. A big difference.



The rain forest and creek were nice as well.





On the way back to Queenstown we had a look at the Iron Blow Lookout. This is the hill above Queenstown which was the Mount Lyell copper mine. The hole was spectacular.








Horseshoe Falls on the way into town.






We went back to Strahan and met up with Kay and Derek and did a short walk from The People’s Park in town to a small falls.




It was unfortunate that the weather was so bad whilst at Strahan but Linda and I will be back to go on the cruise in better weather.

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