Queenstown and the West Coast Wilderness Railway

After our cruise yesterday, we went to Queenstown to take the West Coast Wilderness Railway train tour.

We heard that there was limited parking space at Nelson Falls, twenty-six kilometres east of Queenstown, so after setting up, we headed there to take some photos and enjoyed the return twenty-minute walk to the falls.

We are staying at the Queenstown Football Grounds for $5 per night. The oval, built in 1895, is infamous for its gravel playing surface. Mining pollution, such as acid rain, prevented grass from growing, and the Queen River in Queenstown appears rusty yellow or orange due to pollution from nearby copper mines, rendering it uninhabitable.

Mining ceased here in 2014, and at one stage, the Mount Lyell copper mine became the largest in the world.

After shopping, we enjoyed lunch at the Empire Hotel, which was built and opened in May 1901. The staircase was made from Tasmanian Blackwood. The raw timber was shipped to England, carved and sent back to Queenstown to be assembled and installed in the hotel in 1904. Dame Nellie Melba graced these stairs as did union leader King O'Malley who started the labour movement here in Queenstown.

We had booked the Rinadeena, Rack and Rainforest Tour in the Wilderness carriage, which cost $125 each. Our fare included a choice of champagne or orange juice, accompanied by canapés on departure, and a light meal during the rest of the trip.

The Rack and Pinion system was designed to transport trains up grades that are nearly four times steeper than those found on average railways. Upon closer inspection, you will notice a third rail running down the center, known as the rack. A cog located underneath the train fits into this rack, similar to the cogs in a clock, enabling the train to climb steep hills.

Leaving the West Coast

We left Queenstown at 8:30 AM to navigate the 99 bends while ascending from the town on the Lyell Highway. This six-kilometre stretch of road is deemed the most scenic in Tasmania. Although the road ultimately leads to Gormanston and is known as the 99 bends, there are only 44. Nevertheless, upon reaching Gormanston, it felt like we had encountered 99 bends.

 

After Gormanston, we came across the remains of the town of Linda, which was established to support the North Mount Lyell Mine. The only surviving structure from the original settlement is a hotel built in 1901. Although it burned down in 1910, it was rebuilt and is now in disrepair.

 

As we traveled further east, we crossed the bridge over Lake Burbury and continued on to Derwent Bridge in the Central Highlands, where we stayed in a location across from the hotel. Our purpose for being there was to see 'The Wall in the Wilderness.'

Greg Duncan, the sculptor, has created a remarkable wall made of Huon Pine that stands three meters high and stretches one hundred meters long. He has requested that no photographs be taken of the artwork, so the image I have is sourced from my laptop. However, it does not truly capture the magnificence of this sculpture. Begun in 2005, the work highlights the story of the people who shaped this region.

We also visited nearby Lake St Clair, the deepest freshwater lake in Australia at 167 meters deep, and it is the headwaters of the Derwent River.

We left Derwent Bridge at 8:30 AM on Sunday, March 2nd, to visit the Tarraleah Power Station. The descent into the valley and the subsequent ascent were very steep. Fortunately, thanks to the Chevrolet's exhaust brake, we hardly needed to use the brakes during the descent. 

At Tarraleah, water flows toward the turbines at 270 kilometers per hour. Each pipe delivers 6,800 liters of water per second to a single turbine and generator. This impressive rate is equivalent to filling an Olympic-sized swimming pool every 147 seconds.

We rejoined the Lyell Highway heading towards Ouse, and I can only describe this section of road as absolutely dreadful. How do those who own standard road vans manage on these atrocious roads? After passing Hamilton, the road improved, and we took a minor road towards Bothwell, 29 kilometres away, which featured many turns, with most bends marked by road signs indicating a 45 kilometre limit.