Van Journal Week 14: The Western Wilds

Van Journal Week 14: The Western Wilds

The adventure was back in full swing this week. We left Launceston and headed into the remote western wilderness of Tasmania. This region is known for its wilderness landscapes, but is often neglected by visitors.

We came to Tasmania to squeeze as much juice as we could and time and time again this incredible piece of Australia just kept giving.

Lake Mackintosh

The first stop of the week was Lake Mackintosh for Haylea's 27th birthday.

We had no hikes or activities planned for this short trip. Instead, Haylea chose a fantastic location to explore, relax and enjoy a day at the lake.

Lake Mackintosh is certainly one of the most beautiful lakes we have visited in Tasmania. We lit a bonfire by the water and enjoyed an epic sunrise from our rooftop terrace.

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Queenstown and Strahan

Next stop was Strahan on the west coast of Tasmania. This small port town sits at the head of Macquarie Harbour, Australia's second largest natural harbor. It is a major tourism town for Tassie, with the incredible Gordon River Cruises and the Western Wilderness Railway departing from here.

We took advantage of the free showers and visited Hogarth Falls before heading to Queenstown. Unfortunately this city doesn't have the best reputation, but we really enjoyed it. That's because this small mining town is surrounded by so much natural beauty. The 99 Turn Road was easily one of the wildest and most scenic roads we had taken the van on to date, even though its lunar landscape was sculpted by acid rain due to mining activities. A stop at the Iron Blow lookout was also a sunrise highlight.
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We also stopped at Iron Blow Lookout and took a short walk to Nelson Falls. There was a lot to explore in this region and it was great to be able to see a lot of it from the van.

• alt=“NELSON RIVER NATURE TRAIL TASMANIEN“>
• alt=“VAN-REISEN IN TASMANIEN“>
• alt=“NELSON FÄLLT TASMANIEN“>
• alt=“FAHREN EINES VAN AM TASMANISCHEN LAKE“>
• alt=“STRASSE 99 BIEGEN IN QUEENSTOWN TASMANIEN“>

Great Lake and the Central Highlands

The next destination on our long loop was a drive through the central highlands. We had briefly visited this area a few months ago when we were at Bradys Lake, but we decided to visit again. Unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate, which is typical considering that this plateau is at an altitude of around 1200 meters.

Still, the drive was worth the effort and we made a quick stop at Great Lake and Pine Lake before heading north back to Deloraine to complete a long week of driving and exploring. Next week we plan to hit several waterfalls in northern Tasmania and take a long-awaited trip to Tasmania's Tarkine.

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• alt=“PINE LAKE TASMANIEN“>

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