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Hobart
MONA
New Norfolk
Strathgordon
Strahan
Queenstown
Bronte Park
Derwent Bridge
Lake Pedder
Lake Gordon
Salmon Ponds
Mount Field National Park
SouthwestNational Park
Bridgewater
Lake St Clair
Macquarie Harbour
Lake Burbury
Nelson FallsNature Trail
Lake King WilliamFranklin River
Nature Trail
Donaghys Hill
Lookout
Wayatinah
THE WALL
GORDON DAM
Ouse
TarraleahTungatinah
Gretna
Bothwell
Hamilton
Plenty
Bushy Park
Maydena
TO THE WEST: explore wilderness, discover wild history
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DONAGHYS HILL LOOKOUT Pause for a break on the road and take the
easy walk to a lookout point over buttongrass plains to see a bend of the upper Franklin
River – on the skyline is the white quartzite summit of Frenchmans Cap.
LAKE PEDDER Surrounded by mountains deep in the wilderness of Southwest Tasmania, the waters of this hydro lake drive the turbines in the underground Gordon Power Station and offer outstanding trout fishing. At the end of the road is the spectacular double-curved arch of the Gordon Dam, which rises 140 metres from the river bed.
THE LYELL HIGHWAY Linking the West Coast with Hobart, the highway you’re on crosses the high country of the Central Plateau and runs through the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. A memorable driving experience along the journey is negotiating the 100 hairpin bends into (or out of) Queenstown.
QUEENSTOWN Like all boom & bust mining towns, fortunes have been made and lost in Queenstown, site of one of the world’s richest copper mines. Today, minerals are still dug from deep in the earth; above ground, some of the town’s fine heritage buildings are in use as the galleries and studios of a new generation of West Coast artists and craftspeople.
WEST COAST WILDERNESS RAILWAY This train once carried ingots of pure copper from the Mt Lyell smelters down to waiting ships at Strahan. The same train now takes visitors through the rainforested gorges, crossing trestle bridges on its way to the shores of Macquarie Harbour.
LAKE BURBURY Renewable energy to light and warm homes; clean & green power for businesses; wonderful trout fishing – it all comes from the waters of this hydro lake. After you cross Bradshaw Bridge, look for a track-line just above the valley floor on the left – it’s the old route to Queenstown and the West Coast.
STRAHAN Gateway to World Heritage wilderness, this scenic fishing port is the home base of the cruise boats that make the voyage to the entrance of the harbour, stopping at the once-feared convict colony of Sarah Island and gliding into the lower reaches of the Gordon River, where ancient rainforests are reflected in dark water.
MOUNT FIELD NATIONAL PARK
In this historic national park you can stroll to a scenic waterfall, walk beneath the tallest flowering plants on Earth and
drive into an alpine wonderland. Come in summer for wildflowers – come in
winter for snow sports.
NEW NORFOLK Settlers from Norfolk Island built this historic town on the River Derwent. Well-preserved Georgian and Victorian-era architecture and avenues of mature deciduous trees are among New Norfolk’s attractions. It’s also the place to pick up a bargain in one of the town’s antique shops.
HOBART Nestled under its guardian Mt Wellington, Tasmania’s capital hugs the eastern and western shores of the River Derwent. The focal point of this maritime city is the picturesque docks precinct, scene of the colourful Hobart Summer Festival over the Christmas/New Year break; home of Salamanca Market every Saturday; and host to the fire and fun of Dark Mofo, which brightens and warms the Tasmanian mid-winter.
SALMON PONDS The first salmon and trout eggs were brought here from England to hatch and stock Tasmanian lakes and rivers. The salmon didn’t survive – but the brown and rainbow trout were a huge success.
MONABrilliant, weird, challenging, bizarre, eclectic, hilarious, sublime – no adjectives do justice to David Walsh’s simply astonishing Museum of Old and New Art, MONA. The best way to get there is aboard the fast ferry MONA ROMA from the Hobart docks.
NELSON FALLS NATURE TRAIL Stretch your legs and make the short climb to see a rainforest cascade.
LAKE ST CLAIR Australia’s deepest lake was carved out by glaciers. It’s the end point of the famous Overland Track, one of the world’s best multi-day walks. Spend an hour or so in the Lake St Clair Park Centre, where you’ll learn about the region’s amazing geology, fascinating flora & fauna and rich human heritage.
THE WALL This large-scale artwork is lifetime’s work for self-taught sculptor Greg Duncan, who is carving the stories of the high country in 100 panels of Huon pine, each three metres high and a metre wide.
BOTHWELL Established in the 1820s by settler-graziers from Scotland (with some notable Welsh and Irish connections) this town has more than 50 heritage-listed buildings. It is the site of Australia’s oldest golf course, on the historic property ‘Ratho’. ‘Nant’ is another of the town’s heritage properties and the source of acclaimed single-malt whisky.
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TO THE EAST: follow the Derwent down to a city by the sea
Source of a great river – in the heart of the highlands
Derwent Bridge
Translation of the words ‘Download trip notes’You can download a map and trip notes at www.hobartandbeyond.com.au/derwentbridgemap
Strahan Queenstown Nelson Falls Derwent Bridge TarraleahBronte Park
Bothwell
Ouse Hamilton Gretna New Norfolk HobartDonaghys Hill Franklin River
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PUMPHOUSE POINTIt’s not a Grecian temple – this wonderful building at the end of a causeway in Lake St Clair began life as a pumping station for an early hydro-electric scheme. It has been transformed into a unique and intimate wilderness retreat.
LAKE ST CLAIRThe River Derwent has its source in this beautiful glacial lake. Mt Olympus overlooks tall myrtle rainforests on the western bank; opposite is the shapely dolerite peak of Mt Ida. At the head of the lake are the lofty mountains of the Du Cane Range.
GREAT SHORT WALKS, WATERSMEET
This lovely, level and easy 45-minute walk follows a good
lakeside track through eucalypts, buttongrass moorland and myrtle
rainforest to reach a bridge over the confluence of two forest
streams, the Hugel and Cuvier Rivers.
TROUT FISHING, CENTRAL HIGHLANDS LAKESEnthusiastic anglers come from around the world to cast a fly or lure into the lakes and rivers of Tasmania’s high country. Every year in Liawenee on the western bank of Great Lake, hundreds of wild brown and rainbow trout are stripped of their eggs and milt, then released – the fertilised eggs are raised in the Inland Fisheries Service hatchery to restock the highland waters.
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NANT ESTATE, BOTHWELL‘Nant ’, built by a Welsh settler and a mid-19th century haven for Irish political exiles, is another of the town’s heritage properties and the source of acclaimed single-malt whisky, crafted using Tasmanian-grown barley and pure highland water.
BRADYS LAKEWhen Hydro Tasmania releases water into the channel connecting Bronte Lagoon to Bradys Lake, a world-class slalom kayaking course, with drops, holes, stoppers, eddies and chutes.
BRONTE PARKOnce the home of the engineers and labourers
who built hydro-electric schemes in the Central Highlands, Bronte Park now welcomes visitors
to the Staff House, which offers comfortable accommodation and hearty meals.
WADDAMANA POWER STATION MUSEUMMountain water first turned these turbines in 1916 – Waddamana was Tasmania’s earliest hydro-electric power station. The original station generated electricity for homes and businesses until 1964. Today, the museum explains the amazing story of power development in the harsh conditions of Central Tasmania.
AUSTRALASIAN GOLF MUSEUM, BOTHWELLBothwell is the site of Australia’s oldest golf course, on the historic property ‘Ratho’. It is home to the Australasian Golf Museum, which traces the evolution of the game through the ages. The museum is the brainchild of Tasmanian champion golfer Peter Toogood.
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DERWENT BRIDGE WILDERNESS HOTELOn a chilly highlands day, there’ll always be a warming blaze in the huge fireplace – in every season you’ll find a friendly greeting, a refreshing drink and hearty mountain food. The Derwent Bridge Hotel has been the heart of the community and a haven for travellers for many decades.
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