Signature Tour

Great things to do in Queenstown Tasmania.

Experience the highlights from two of our most popular adventures.

'Lost Mines + Lake Margaret Hydropower'

From 1881 intrepid pioneering 'Piners and Miners' forged their way from Macquarie Harbour into the Western Wilderness exploring river systems rich with Huon Pine and alluvial Gold.

Come along with us for a show and tell wonder of relics from pioneering efforts that led to the discovery and rise of the Mt Lyell Mining & Railway Company, the feud of the Irishmen and the demise of James Crotty's extravagant North Mt Lyell Company.

• Departs 9am or 1.30pm from Queenstown's Grand talkie era Theatre - The Paragon.

• Tour through South Queenstown, the first settlement of Lynchford and travel further south into the western wilds.

• Fossick and chip sample ore and mineral samples in the Jukes Proprietary mines.​

Lake Margaret experiences even more days of rain than Queenstown!

The Mt Lyell Mining & Railway company built this 1912–1914 commissioned Hydropower scheme and village  where families lived, worked and thrived.

Now operated and beautifully maintained by Hydro Tasmania since 1995.​

​

• Travel to the Lake Margaret village, stroll around the abandoned houses and enjoy the audio/visual presentation in the village hall with a cup of your favourite and a snack.

• View the weir and 60 inch woodstave pipe.

• Walk into the still proudly roaring 1914 powerhouse to see, hear and feel the horizontal axis high pressure Pelton wheel turbines driving open alternators.

• Check out the remains of the Mt Lyell Smelter works, the original railway works, the residual mining effluent polluting the Queen River and some other points of interest on the return journey to Queenstown.

• 3.5 Hrs, regular comfort stops, low physical requirement.

**Persons with pacemaker or defibrillation devices cannot enter the powerhouse**