Day 7 - Visiting Queenstown

Today we are travelling just 2 hrs down the Road to the Township of Strahan.

By 10:45 am we had arrived at Queenstown for Morning Tea and a Walking Tour of the Town

Our Bus collected us, and a Local Guide at the Tourist Train Station and we were taken to the Queenstown Speciality Timber Yard

We learnt about all the different types of Timber that specifically grows in Tasmania and how they are now reclaiming Old discarded Timbers from Scrap heaps and River beds no matter what they look like - for use in High-end Sculptures.

(I loved this piece - Old and gnarled looking very much like a Dragon about to swallow a large River Rock.  I wonder what someone will do with it!)

We Drove through the Historic Lyell Copper Mine opened c 1890 and currently in 'Caretaker Mode' awaiting a decision to re-open.

We saw the effects of the Toxic Metal Pollution of the local Rivers.

And learned of the Environmental and Economic effect the Mine had on the area.

From here we returned to the restored Paragon Theatre, where we were treated to some very Welcome Hot Soup. 

And a screening of a Documentary Film on one of Australia's most significant environmental battles. The 1980s campaign to stop the damming of the Franklin River.

From here it is just a 25 min drive to our next Stop.

The Strahan Village Motel. 

Set on a hillside with Views of Macquarie Harbour.

(Pretty good View to wake up to!)

Click the Link to see the Film we watched:

Saving the Franklin River Documentary.