On Sunday we left Melbourne and flew across Bass Strait to the island of Tasmania. Once we arrived in Hobart we picked up a rental car and headed off across the mountainous central highlands to the rugged south west coast. This region of Tasmania has a very high rainfall (average 3.5m or 11.5ft a year) so it is often misty and rainy with very lush vegetation as seen in this shot of Surprise Valley, which was formed by glaciers during the last ice age.
The western coast of Tasmania is rich in mineral deposits. Silver, lead, zince, tin, copper & gold have all been mined in the region. The road to Strahan descends from the mountains through the mining town of Queenstown (above). Established in the 1880's as a gold mining town, the later discovery of copper is what supports the small town today.
We ended our day's drive in the picturesque port of Strahan (pronounced "straw-n"). It lies within a large natural harbor (Macquarie Harbour) on the south-west coast of Tasmania. It was originally established in the late 1800's as a port for the nearby mining settlements and the timber industry. Today, timber-getting has ceased and mining material is shipped by road. Tourism and fishing are the primary uses of the port today.
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