After four months I’ve finally gotten round to condensing this one and finishing it off. Nine parts in total on what was an excellent day on board the steam locomotive along the West Coast Wilderness Railway. I did it alone which was probably the only bad thing – wish I had someone there with me on the trip, although since its called the “west coast wilderness railway” perhaps it ain’t all that bad that I sailed the ship alone.
So where was I? Oh yes I had just passed a yellow cottage at Lowanna, and there would be no further stops until the end of the line. I had already tasted honey, searched for gold, had lunch at the steepest railway station in Tasmania and been entertained on board a vintage train journey and a mark of techonological and engineering genius.
What was left to do? Well basically I just sat, sipped on my water and relaxed for the last part of the journey, back to Strahan and a place called Regatta Point.
Yet more information and facts kept coming from Kristin and Amy, including the pointing out that Lowanna means “beautiful lady” and that Macquarie Harbour at Strahan is the second biggest harbour in all of Australia, 6.5 times bigger than Sydney Harbour, but when you consider the fact that Melbourne is in a kind of inlet, this is hardly surprising. The entrance to the harbour is known as “Hell’s Gates”, when the wind is strong its a nightmare to get a boat through the narrow passage apparantly.
The sea air smell drifted through the open windows and into the carriage, the train ground to a halt and suddenly the wilderness railway journey was over and we were back in civilisation, well the tiny unknown remote town of Strahan…
Arrival at Regatta Point, Strahan.
There were free buses provided to drive us back to the town centre of Strahan. But I estimated it to be merely a 20 minute walk, so let the elderly folk get the free bus while I walked back to my car.
A dull sunset peered through the Strahan clouds as I completed the Strahan Foreshore Walk.
The end of the line!
Nice memories of a fantastic trip. Go do it!
Travelled from – Strahan Town Centre to Queenstown and back to Strahan Town centre
Transport used – John Lyell Steam Locomotive Number 3, Coach
Distance travelled – 72 kilometres
ARRIVAL IN STRAHAN:
STRAHAN FORESHORE WALK: