Making Eye Statements: Australian Adventures 2018

Part 9 – Huon Valley and the Road to Strahan

And so we have left the Huon Valley and driven across Tasmania to Strahan on the west coast. And, yes, it was sad to leave. Our week there has given me a new “heart home,” to use Bill’s phrase. The plan, of course, is to return in 2019. Enough said…

The photos: the first group is from our last day of wandering along the Huon River.

The second group is from our 350-km drive to Strahan. And what a drive it was! It took almost 8 hours, following the twisty, turny, NARROW roads through magnificent scenery. Bill did an incredible job of driving.

At one point, we pulled into a lookout area for some photography. A small truck, the kind you see all over Tasmania, pulled up beside us. It belonged to a construction company that was working on the roads and had what looked like a snow plow on the front. Curious, I asked the driver if it really WAS a snow plow. Yup, it was! He said that it was handy in July and August when they do get some snow, but that he keeps it on the truck the rest of the year because “it’s just handy to shove things around.” So there you have it folks – a Tasmanian snow plow!

On the drive, we also encountered controlled bush fires along the road. The practice of controlled burns uses Aboriginal approaches to fire safety - after all, the Aborigines have been living in Australia for 60,000 years, so they know a thing or two about bush fires.

We’re having a quiet morning in Strahan before heading off on an afternoon ride into the rain forest on board the West Coast Wilderness Railway. It’s raining as I write this – badly needed rain, so no complaints from me – but I hope it clears a bit before our trip.

More about Strahan in the next post. Meanwhile, enjoy the photos!

Eucalyptus trees along the Huon River

Hedge with flowers near Cygnet

Saffron field belonging to Tas-Saf, a successful grower of high quality saffron. We bought some of their saffron-infused gin. Pretty tasty with tonic water!