Day 4 of our trip was a real treat as we travelled through one of the greatest wildernesses of the world, the UNESCO World Heritage listed Tasmania Wilderness area.
We climbed out of Queenstown, winding our way up high out of the valley to the Iron Blow lookout.
The 175km stretch of road between Queenstown and Ouse snakes through forested valleys, lakes and landscapes flanked by rocky mountain backdrops. With barely a settlement along the road, it’s not a place you want to be with a near empty fuel tank or no food. This is true Tasmanian wilderness, bar the sealed road and occasional bush camping opportunity.
The only major sign of civilisation out here is a hydroelectric power station at Tarraleah, one of the earliest built in Australia, in the 1930s.
After Ouse, signs of civilisation start to become more frequent as farming becomes more apparent either side of the highway.
Our stop for this evening was in Geeveston, a tiny town towards the mouth of the Huon river. As we neared it we were afforded views of the gorgeous valley famous for its apples and other produce.
For fans of the ABC comedy Rosehaven, Geeveston is a familiar site providing many of the backdrops for its outside scenes. Having recently been almost (but not) wiped out by some serious forest fires in the surrounding mountains, it was sadly quiet for a long Easter weekend. We enjoyed the serenity however it does make things tricky for the locals who rely on the tourist dollar.
Talking of which – platypus! But more about those in my next instalment.
Lady on Motorbike 