On the Road to Queenstown - Tasmania

We took a very leisurely day to drive 86 kms on hairpin bends, through the Franklin-Gordon National Park, with stopoffs at Nelson Falls, and at the Iron Blow disused open pit copper mine.

Close to Derwent Bridge, we came across a logged landscape, so much in contrast to the vibrant forests around Lake St Clair.

En route between Derwent Bridge and Queenstown, we stopped at Nelson Falls, a delightful spot with rainforest lining the river.

 Queenstown is an attractive mining town with heritage architecture and an old-timer, Wild West feel.

 Meandering through the town is a vivid orange, polluted river.

Iron Blow is a disused pit from the heyday of Queenstown, when huge mines scoured the hillsides for copper, gold, zinc, and many more minerals. Recently closed, the big Lyell Mine is rumoured to open again in 2016.