An interlude - Mt Field NP and Lake Pedder

We left our van in New Norfolk for a night and journeyed out to Strathgordon, which is a long and windy road with no caravan park at the end of it.

Mt Field National Park is the oldest in Tasmania,  and is probably the most visited.  The walk to Russell Falls was wide enough for at least 4 people walking arm in arm,  and suitable for prams and some wheel-chairs.  The falls were still spectacular.

A slightly less manicured track took us to the tall trees.  Seriously tall trees. 

After our walks we drove on to Strathgordon, where the weather was incredibly changeable.  We had sun, rain and even hail!  Strathgordon is another ex-hydro building town which has been converted to accommodation, although some houses are still used by hydro employees. 

We had a look at Serpentine Dam, which was quite impressive. It was strange to see how much smaller Lake Pedder had been, and to read that some people think it could still be returned to its original state by opening the dams.

But the poor Serpentine River doesn't come out the other side.

On to the Gordon Dam.  By now it was very rainy and very cold.  The dam wall is amazing.  We looked down from the top, but we didn't walk on it because of the rain.  The canyon was so deep we couldn't see the bottom.  They run adrenalin abseiling from here - how terrifying!

There is a rope bridge (I think) way down there

It was sobering to read that a 2km stretch of canyon had been dammed for this hydro station.  It must have been an amazing place before that.  It was also shocking to realise that this dam is above that pristine river we cruised on back in Strahan.  The water is released a km from the dam to run out through the wilderness to Macquarie Harbour. Thank goodness they didn't put the second dam in and flood the rainforest.  I'm all for green hydro energy, but it's very sad to destroy wilderness to get it.

The mountains are huge and very rocky.  Quite awe-inspiring.

After our exploring, it was lovely to come back to a heated restaurant and hotel room. 

There is an amazing tree slab here, huon pine, dated to before the birth of Christ.  But again,  it was cut down when they built the dam - no dam and it would probably still be growing. On the other hand, a lake is much nicer than a coal mine or coal fired power station.