Part 9 Central Highlands and Lakes District

As we head to the Central Highlands, our first call was to the old tin mining areas around Derby and follow the Tin Dragon Trail

The Europeans came to the Blue Tiers in 1876 after a group of gold miners discovered rich tin deposits in the area.

News of the strike spread quickly and within months most of the mountain area was taken up with claims.

The Tiers are rainforest covered mountains over 750m and within months most of the trees were cleared.

Coffee before we head out on walking tracks - its cold and a little wet !

Left an old water race providing water for the diggings.

By 1878 the price of tin fell which lead to a exodus of miners. The companies that remained then used the available cheap Chinese labour.

With the price improving in 1880 hard rock mining started, but then a policy of employing only white labour forced the Chinese to work on the alluvial diggings.

Many made good money and returned to China, others stayed and carved out a living here.

We are on a 6km walk to explore what remains.

The rainforest and mosses etc are returning so its soggy and wet underfoot.

At Australia Hill in 1912 the Summit Mine built a 335m long overhead haulage way that carried the tin ore to the crushing plant at the Anchor Mine.

The construction took them 2 years however by 1919 both the aerial haulage system and the mine was closed.

All that remains is a rainforest filled big hole and this bull wheel.

Top of Australia Hill - windy and cold !

The walk was visually impressive.

Mosses & lichen growing on everything that does not move.

Camp No 58 - Derby Free Camping in town... Excellent facilities, clean and modern, hot showers $4... to top it off a truly great meal in town.

Today: 91 Kms

Total: 5,241 Kms

Monday 11th April 2022

The small village of Legerwood.

On 15th October 1918 a ceremony was held in the railway reserve where 9 trees were planted to honour local solders killed in World war I.

The trees grew to a dangerous height and needed to be lopped, leaving the Legerwood community to decide how to preserve the memorial to the local solders.

In an innovative solution, Mr Freeman was asked to carve each on the remaining trunks to honour each of the 9 solders.

What a speculator result.

The carvings depict their local work (saw-milling /farming etc ) and their contribution to fighting in the battle fields of France.

Camp No 59 -Mt Blackwood lookout.

Wild camp on the edge of the Central Plateau, right next to the access inspection tunnel for the Poatina hydro scheme. Great views over the Tamar Valley.

Today: 163 Kms

Total: 5,404 Kms

Tuesday 12th April 2022

There is not a lot to see on the Midlands plateau but one item of interest was the 1922 Waddamana Hydro power Station historical buildings.

We had a great introduction to the place by a guy who grew up in the town and worked his entire life at the station.

Opened in 1922 makes it 100 years old and at the time of construction was at the forefront of Hydro and electricity development.

The museum is one of the worlds most intact last century hydro power stations - well worth a visit

Once you have electricity you can have electrical appliances.

These electric stoves were amongst the first appliances installed in houses in Waddamana.

They actually proceeded those in Hobart

The Moffat brand was made by Metters in Melbourne in the 1930’s and 40‘s, the green and cream was highly fashionable in 1946

A great old colonial home.

Even a hand dug well out front.

Up on the plateau an ancient survivor from Gondwana.

The Pencil Pines found only in Tasmania belong to the same family as the giant Californian Seguoia.

They have survived several ice ages and now in a vulnerable position. being fire sensitive, large numbers have been killed by past burning practices and more recently escaped camp fires.

They seed only every 7 years and many are over 1,000 years old.

What a story they could tell.