While we
climbed caught the chairlift to the top of The Nut that morning, we then headed off for the about two hour drive to Queenstown. We stopped off at the quite nice town of Wynyard for lunch. I didn't really take photos but I did use Plant Snap to identify these trees.
The landscape as we travelled along the way to Queenstown was stunning. We could have taken better photos earlier or later.
People in Tasmania are so friendly. A stranger in the street will say hello as you pass by them. I was a little taken aback the first time it happened. Nevertheless there is a rough element in Queenstown and it was not our favourite Tassie town.
Mummy and Daddy MGs?
I think we chose the wrong pub to dine at as it took an hour for our meals to be served., as good as they were when they did come. Perhaps I should write a bad review for Mount Lyell Hotel. R seemed to think there was a problem with me drinking gin and tonic. What kind of proper man drinks gin and tonic? Well hon behind the bar, we are visiting gay old men from Victoria who are spending money in your town.Your bottled wine was priced outrageously for take home too. We were not impressed, and the out of town older motorbike riders in the streets did not help.
We may have done better at this wonderfully restored Empire Hotel, where Tradie Brother and Ex Sis in Law once stayed. We were told it has a stunning internal staircase.
I am not sure at all what this building is.
Queenstown was once a mineral mining town. It had bare denuded hills surrounding it and after some to and fro, I think the verdict was to let it revegetate but not all areas have yet.
We took a walk along the main street and found a cafe for something to eat and drink. The woman behind the counter was quite rude to R as he fished in his wallet for the correct change to pay. It was so amusing to see him go on the charm offensive and have her eating out of his hand. The motel accommodation was just satisfactory.
We were to catch a train I have long been interested in, the West Coast Wilderness Railway. There are a variety of trips to take, the best being to the lovely coastal town of Strahan with lunch and drinks onboard and a helicopter flight back to Queenstown, or the other way around. We chose to take this one,
https://www.wcwr.com.au/tours/rack-gorge which would have us back in Queenstown at 1pm to journey on for about three hours to Hobart.
R was his usually panicky self about time, so we were there 45 minutes before the train departed at 9am. All we did was collected our booked tickets and wandered around and bought take away coffee to take on the train, that we must board by 8.45 but did not depart until after 9.00.
Where is my train? Somewhere in the steam.
She was not a big engine but the history of all the trains that once operated for commercial reasons was interesting.
The Queenstown station.
Like the train we caught in the hills of Budapest, to climb the steep hills and descend without braking, a cog and pinion system is used and this photo tells a thousand words. The cog is part of the train and obviously the rack is part of the rails. It is the steepest train line in the Southern Hemisphere.
We went up into the temperate rain forest, and what a surprise, it rained. The windows of the train kept fogging up but our wonderful conductor, host and guide Simon kept wiping them down. It wasn't cold.
After the steep climb we descended to our terminus in the King River Gorge town Dubbil Barril, (sic)
We sat opposite a really nice couple from Hobart, who talked a bit too much. She looks after and cares for numerous grandchildren and great nieces and nephews, along with having fostered many children.
The through train to Queenstown from Strahan was sitting at Dubbil Barril, waiting for us to arrive on the single track. It departed. Dubbil Barril is pronounced Double Barrel, and the reasons for the spelling is not conclusive but interesting nevertheless.
The lad really put his back into turning the engine on the turntable.
I think this was a foot bridge and we walked over it, but I may be wrong.
We arrived back a little late to Queenstown. Our fastest speed was 35 km/h. Mostly it was below 20. As we were leaving Queenstown, I tooted and waved to the Hobart couple walking back to their caravan park and they waved back. We drove for about three hours to our accommodation in Hobart with some great scenery and a couple of stops along the way. I can highly recommend any visitor to Tasmania take one of the West Coast Wilderness Railway trips.