Monday 4th February 2019 - Today we're heading for Strahan and this is what we did on the way:

Stopped at Waratah to take a look at the Waratah Falls, that plunges down in to a gully below & is uniquely located in the centre of town that was home to the richest tin mine in the Southern hemisphere.

Cradle Mountain, Lake St Clair National Park where we took the steep & winding circuit trail that wound its way beside Dove River on to Dove Lake, making our way through this beautiful rugged alpine landscape of buttongrass moorland, rainforest, quartzite beaches and glacial lakes stopping to marvel at the breathtaking views that looked across to the Cradle Mountain.

Wandered passed the restored boatshed sitting at the water's edge then climbed up to Crater Lake surrounded by high cliffs & beech trees before descending down to Lake Lilla and back to Dove Lake.

Before we left this beautiful place we visited a conservation sanctuary for Tasmanian Devils and Eastern & Spotted tailed Quolls, also stopping to watch a group of Wombats foraging in the grass next to our Ute before we head to Strahan.

Tuesday 5th February 2019 - We're now in Strahan and today we took:

A cruise that took us through Hells Gates & past two lighthouses at the entrance to one of Australia's most dangerous harbours situated at the mouth of the Macquarie Harbour.

Past an array of salmon farms as we cross the harbour to the Gordon River that passes the rugged mountain ranges of the South West Wilderness National Park with reflections of the rainforest in the tannin-stained water. Stop to walk amongst the ancient Huon pine trees with some said can grow to an age over 3000 years.

Disembarked at Sarah Island and toured the ruins of a penal settlement that had been established in 1821 & where under the harshest of conditions convicts built boats from the Huon Pine.

Took a walk around Strahan Harbour, then drove around the coast for a stroll along Ocean beach taking in another look at Hells Gates as the sun set.

Wednesday 6th February 2019 - Today we:

Had breakfast watching the sun rise over the harbour before strolling through the forest beside Botanical Creek, said to be the home to a number of platypus, making our way along the trail to Hogarth Falls; a small waterfall cascading into the creek, spotting some beautiful blue coloured Fair-wrens and sadly still no platypus…

Took the West Coast Wilderness Railway, a steam train journey passing the foreshore at the edge of Macquarie Harbour, travelling within beautifully restored carriages and then through river gorges and lush rainforest to Bubbil Barril.

Followed the course of the King River, crossing an Iron Bridge; saw the remains of a 244m trestle bridge before arriving at Dubbil Barril where we watched the locomotive being manually turned around on a restored turntable.

As we wandered along the platform to take a stroll through the rainforest we noticed that water in the King River had changed colour. It had turned from dark green to orange, as sight we had not seen before and caused by polluted run-off from the copper and gold mines in Queenstown.

On arrival back at the railway station after an enjoyable afternoon, we picked up some fish n chips and headed back to our B&B.