We could not justify a visit to the West Coast of Tasmania without traveling to the hydro town of STRATHGORDON and on to the Gordon River Dam, taking in the breathtaking expanses of water that are the Gordon and Pedder Lakes.
Minus the van, we left the New Norfolk caravan park well rugged up. The grey skies and cold drizzling rain suggested the forecast of possible further light snow falls was a distinct possibility, and in fact, proved correct.
The 120km route from New Norfolk to Strathgordon took us past the entrance to the Salmon Ponds, about which I wrote in an early blog (Tassie “tigers” extinct?) and on to quaint whistle stops like Bushy Park and Maydena. On a fine day we would have also diverted slightly to take-in the lacy Russell Falls in Mt Field National Park, but the bleak conditions caused us to defer that ‘til our return trip when, hopefully, better light might prevail. (It didn't and we missed the falls ... buggar!!!)
Exiting Maydena, we were highly amused to seen a sign out the front of the town’s last house
But soon, our first glimpse of the huge Lake Pedder, that was brightened briefly by the temporary addition of a rainbow. You have to look hard!
Here is one of the markers embellished by a wag who is obviously a fan of that other code of football ... Rugby League. "Para" is, of course, a rap for the Sydney-based club, Parramatta.
Closer to Strathgordon, we were surprised to come across Ted’s Beach.
Ted's Beach!!! Hundreds of kilometers from the ocean and there's a beach? Surely not!
But yes, a sandy beach, easily accessed from a low-cost camping/caravan/RV site, overseen by Tasmania National Parks.
At one-fifth the cost, the facilities here are better than some of the listed caravan parks we have encountered ...
I included that little piece of information especially for the benefit of Ian and Dianne, fellow members of the Australian Caravan Club, and for any others who are planning a trip similar to ours.
The details relating to the “birth” of Ted’s Beach is best told by another sign on that wall and I suggest you use your computer’s zoom facility to read this most fascinating little snippet of recent history.
Soon after leaving Ted’s Camp we arrived at Strathgordon … not exactly a ghost town, but, at this time of the year, certainly a very lonely place. Again I recommend you use your “zoom” settings to read this most informative sign we found among the deserted buildings.
“Dirty days hath September
April, June and November
February is quite alright
It only rains from morn ‘til night
And if any month had thirty two
They’d be bloody raining too"
Down the road apiece, we came upon the first sweeping views of the huge man-made Lake Gordon, with patches of sunlight struggling to showcase it at it’s very best
– and then – there it was – the mighty structure holding back all that mass of water – the remarkable Gordon Dam – tallest in Tasmania.
If this picture of Barbara does not truly indicate how damned cold it was ...
I reckon this next one will:
When I suggested we walk down to the dam wall, Barbara took one look at the method of access and said:
So, like Scott of the Antarctic, I set off alone
In this next picture you gain some sense of the enormity of this massive wall, as my seemingly ant-sized body gazes at the floor of the ravine 140m below.
Plum-faced and gasping to fill my lungs with the near sub-zero air, I finally made it back to “Ranndy” and the cosy and warm Barbara. “Told you it was madness” she sputtered through peals of laughter.
Since we have been here, we have had some marvelous interaction with interesting locals and the drive back to New Norfolk triggered yet another. About 27k out of Maydena on the way to the dam we could not possibly miss a make-shift camp site, festooned with signs, protesting the intended clear felling of rain forest in the Upper Florentine Valley coupe.
But here, three decades later, I had the opportunity to come face-to-face some of these “lunatics” and find out exactly what they were/are all about. How pleased I am today that I did that.
Meet “Ces” Edwards … possibly the most caring, loving, compassionate, committed, human-being I have ever had the privilege to speak with.
About to turn 50, Ces has spent the majority of the past 30 years manning the “front line” of the non-violent protests against the destruction of Tasmania’s old growth forests. Spend a couple of hours with her and any negative attitudes you might have previously held about the protests and protestors will be dispelled forever.
How dedicated must a person be, to spend the whole Tasmanian winter in this make-shift marquee through which the wind whistled like a banshee the whole time we shared a cup of “char”.
Prior to our cuppa, Ces had guided us for a half hour along a “secret” walkway deep into the adjoining rain-forest (pictures of that walk can been seen in a slide show in the side panel on the right)
This walk brought us out on a Forestry Tasmania access-road, bludgeoned out of the virgin growth by enormous machinery that flattens everything in its path. Much of the depressing piles of debris you see in the slide show is the remains of huge trees - many of which were hundreds of years old - just like the one you can see in the slide show, adorned recently with prayer pennants by visiting Buddhist monks.
We happily donated some much needed funds to Ces’ cause, which is detailed on this site. We hope you might consider doing the same.
And for the record … there is absolutely no truth to the ridiculous rumor we heard at New Norfolk caravan park, that people manning the barricades at the Upper Florentine protest site are paid $25 an hour for their presence. You don’t have to speak to Ces Edwards for very long to realise that such a proposition is absolutely preposterous!
If only it WAS true, you’d have a smile like this all the time, wouldn’t you Ces!
And tomorrow, for two Tassie tourists, a new day dawns.
Very enjoyable read, can't wait to get over there.
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