[Chat] What to see in Tasmania ?

[Russell Stuart]

On Sun, 2017-01-08 at 08:56 +1100, Christopher Neugebauer wrote:
> but not the trip to Queenstown.
> 
> Wrt everything else:
> 
> Strahan involves mountain passes and winding roads that are dangerous
> after dark (sunset is around 20:40 at that time of year).

Horses for courses I guess.

My wife and I circumnavigated Tasmania in a campervan after the last
Tasi LCA.  I found Queenstown fascinating.   I gather most of the
mining occurred a century ago, although the last copper mine was shut
down in 2014.  After 100 years in a high rainfall area it's still
devoid of life.  Apparently nature can't always claim back the earth
after we have finished with it.  The colourful ores of the heavy metals
they were mining for give the area a surreal if menacing beauty - I
avoided the pools of water lying around.  If you google.com.au "moon
scape mining" Queenstown is the 1st, 2nd and 3rd hits.

A campervan is not most manoeuvrable thing in the world, but I didn't
find navigating the mountain roads particularly difficult.  The most
challenging problem I have driving long distances in Queensland,
fatigue induced by straight roads passing through 100's of kilometres
seemingly endless bushland isn't a problem in Tasmania.  And unlike the
challenges the 4wd clubs set themselves, all it takes to navigate these
roads safely is a willingness to take the road sign recommendations
seriously.  If you don't - well yes, things to go very wrong very
quickly - but that's always true when pushing 2 tons of metal at high
speed.

On the up side being able to stop in the in the middle of the west cost
wilderness and take a walk through the forest was the highlight of the
trip for me.  It felt like one of the few large wildernesses left on
the planet that hasn't been profoundly influenced by by our species. 
(Australian's familiar with Tasmanian politics will know keeping it
that way has been a challenge).  Other similar places, like say
Antarctica, are that way only because it's physically difficult for us
to live there.