Have just returned from a shakedown trip with the c/t on the Western Explorer road in Tassie. The road goes from Zeehan to near Smithton through the Tarkine forest on the once wild west coast. The area was hit by fire last summer (07/08) and this was my first trip there. Much of the area has been totally devastated and burnt to bare earth for many kilometres. Some of you may be aware of the damage caused to the country around Coolgardie WA in last years fires. This area has similar damage and may be considered worse given the forest is slow growing rain forest. I have seen a fair bit of Tassie but did not expect to find that sort of damage in this State.
waltzing matilda said
11:49 PM Dec 23, 2008
Sad to hear Cito. Go see something else beautiful quickly.It will dull the pain a little.
Cupie said
07:12 AM Dec 24, 2008
Cito ..
A big dissapointment!!
Is that the track that goes via a ferry at maybe the Pieman river? If so we were planning on going that way on our Tassie trip in 2000, but time beat us & we were travelling solo in the Patrol. We ended up going thru Rosebery to Somerset, stopping off for lunch & a walk up the river at the Hellver Gorge. Would have much prefered to go the other way .. another bad decision!
cito said
08:24 AM Dec 24, 2008
Cupie - that is the track. I would still recommend it to travellers because the area around the ferry crossing is still in pristine condition. You can't see a lot of it though because it is so dense at the road side. Loose surface, even in the dry and not very wide.
The hotel at Corinna (the ferry crossing) I would recommend for meals to anyone for very reasonable prices, quality and quantity. The service I would recommend to anyone involved in the hospitality industry. Apart from our personal experience we watched as the waitress dealt with a family with a couple of pre-schoolers. he did not leave them until the kids each had a colouring book and pencils and were happy.
I am going back although my wife reckons she has marked it with a tick - been there, done that.
It is still a good trip.
dave06 said
11:33 AM Dec 24, 2008
Hmmmm!!! well thats off my list, I see enough dry burnt country around here without going all that distance to see more, bloody crying shame, rainforest that is hundreds of years old, gone and what is left the government and the backward people want to cut down, this may well be our last trip over there
Have just returned from a shakedown trip with the c/t on the Western Explorer road in Tassie. The road goes from Zeehan to near Smithton through the Tarkine forest on the once wild west coast. The area was hit by fire last summer (07/08) and this was my first trip there.
Much of the area has been totally devastated and burnt to bare earth for many kilometres. Some of you may be aware of the damage caused to the country around Coolgardie WA in last years fires. This area has similar damage and may be considered worse given the forest is slow growing rain forest.
I have seen a fair bit of Tassie but did not expect to find that sort of damage in this State.
A big dissapointment!!
Is that the track that goes via a ferry at maybe the Pieman river?
If so we were planning on going that way on our Tassie trip in 2000, but time beat us & we were travelling solo in the Patrol. We ended up going thru Rosebery to Somerset, stopping off for lunch & a walk up the river at the Hellver Gorge. Would have much prefered to go the other way .. another bad decision!