Day 5 - Woolnorth to Cradle Mountain

Australia has a lot of places that can be said to be in "The Middle of Nowhere" and that is where we are going today.  

To the Northwest Top of Tasmania. 

              -  Cape Grim -

It is isolated and where we are going - you can only get to, 

if you book a tour.* 

The first photos I took today were at 8:25 am. We had already met our Guide and were on our tour of  Woolnorth Station and the Roaring 40's Wind farm.

We have driven through, around and even slept beside Wind Turbines over the years but this time we were privileged to be Educated in the Operation and Management of this Incredible Resource.

We learned bout the Manufacture of the Turbines, Use and Maintenance, and also the End of Life applications for the Turbine Blades.  

Which have been re-purposed into things like Playground shelters or Buried into farmland to create artificial reefs to assist with erosion issues.

We also learned about the Environmental Impact on Wildlife - Where, with careful management the Wild Birds and Tasmanian Tigers have been encouraged to nest away from the Turbines by relocating their diet of Carrion to safer areas - Taking just one Generation to change their patterns.

Some of the more hardier of our tour tested their strength against the might of the Roaring 40's Winds.

It was the only time I saw this Scotsman in a Jacket!  

It was COLD..... and Very, Very Windy.

Also positioned at Cape Grim is the Kennaook / Cape Grim Baseline Air Pollution Station.  

With the closest Landfall being the Southern Tip of Argentina, and having the Cleanest Air anywhere... it has been measuring Air Quality and Pollution levels since 1976.  

Our Tour concluded with a talk on the History of the Area including the Aboriginal Massacre of February 1828. 

Followed by a very welcome Morning Tea.

From here we journeyed South.  Stopping for Lunch and a tour of Lobster Ponds Haven.

Sadly no Lobsters were on the Menu as this is an Educational facility providing information on the endangered Freshwater Lobster. 

From here the weather turned ... Unpleasant.

Whereas this Morning it was Cold, 

Now it was Cold and WET.

So no one minded that we didn't stop on the 125 km drive to our Accomodation for the next 2 Nights at Cradle Mountain.  

When we pulled in to the Information Centre - and I had Mobile coverage again - We found out just HOW cold it was!

Gotta Love the "Feels Like" Temperature!!

It was a long day and we were more than pleased to find a welcoming "Log fire" burning in our Cabin.

* * *

Thanks for staying with me this far.

I have provided links below to Information on the Woolnorth Wind Farm, The CSIRO Air Pollution Station as well as the Cape Grim Massacre.  All of which are well worth further reading.

Woolnorth Wind Farm

Kennaook/Cape Grim Air Pollution Station

Cape Grim Massacre