Sabine & John's Bespoke Adventures

Rediscovery of Western Tasmania's mysterious past pining, mining and other associated sites is a curiosity driven pursuit. This curiosity and intrigue combined with a love of the unique cool temperate rainforest environment with terrain that often poses serious traverse challenges, is an adventurous form of recreation.

The majority of people that come to Queenstown and engage with us seeking interactive experiences foraging through ancient forests exploring long disused sites leave happy and satisfied. Some however, get so interested that they become, like us, enchanted by the pristine environment, the relics, the stories and remnants of pioneering activity. They come back to this wild frontier desiring personalised adventures that we plan with local knowledge, embark on and access using our logistic capabilities.

Recently, Sabine and John, an intrepid couple who have previously enjoyed our advertised experiences here returned for more adventures but this time around they were inspired by another Tassie outdoorsy identity. Rob Parsons is a spirited adventurer, not so much a traditional guided experience operator, more of a standout expeditioner and popular Vlogger. YouTube is Rob's primary platform and when a video log on Rob's channel featuring some disused Western Tasmanian rail infrastructure was viewed by Sabine and John they engaged us once again, requesting a full day of bespoke adventure that would include the site that Rob Vlogged.

For us, this is one of those cases of 'Mission Accepted' and a fun expedition was loosely planned. (Plans are purposely kept flexible for spontaneous side adventures along the way)

After a few Email exchanges the only definitive was to take in the site that Rob had Vlogged some months prior, which for us is all too easy as it is a site we have a sound knowledge of. As this would only take a couple of hours our loose plan was to visit that site last which left us ample time to provide some Wows.

Some months later we stand together for the obligatory morning greeting and pre-departure brief over coffee at our home base THE PARAGON THEATRE.

The Paragon Theatre at the end of the world in Queenstown Tasmania

River rafting expedition logistics got busy for us leading up to and after this bespoke event and I have to admit that from the distraction that caused it took a little time for me to get with the program. I couldn't quite remember in any detail our past activity and I headed out on our favourite wow which is the Mt Owen 4x4 experience.

Selecting low range 4x4 and heading up the access track chatting away I come to the realisation that we had done this trip before, oops, but then upon recollection the previous trip was cloudy and this time we had some good views so it turned out ok.

View past Lyell and Eldon to distant Cradle Mountain

What this repeat experience did do was give us the opportunity to check out the old site of the Gormanston mine offices. Now mostly unrecognisable ruins but one curiosity that remains is the miners payroll strongroom which is not far from the still visible old Gormanston gravel footy oval where the hardest of the hard once played Aussie rules. (The Gormanston footy pitch was harsher than the gravel oval in Queenstown).

Sabine and John at the Mt Lyell Mining Company mine office near Gormanston. The strong room is all that remains.

Intrepid is an appropriate descriptive for these repeat visitors. After descending back down Mt Owen and returning from our Gormanston investigatives we were back at The Paragon for a quick morning break. After loading some equipment and one of Joy's pre packed lunches we set off for an adventure that I knew would be a first for John and Sabine, a site that has put to the test everybody's resolve who have visited thus far.

4x4 to sites of Piners & Miners

This site requires some proper 4x4 followed by a short hike through the understory of a rare mixed forest of Huon and King Billy pine. A site for only the most outgoing of our guests which is a newly introduced addition to our regularly frequented old Piners and Miners past works. A site where Huon and King Billy pines were harvested and Gold rich Quartzite was mined with tunnels more than a century ago. Tentatively we walk through the square cut portal into the main drive.

East Mine main drive

Back drive relic and Hickmania troglodytes

Crawl space through the crosscut breakthrough

This old show is a prime example of the pioneering works being carried out chasing the double bonanza of Huon Pines and reef Gold in the dark wet forests of Western Tasmania. Our spooked out senses tingle for some time after exploring this bonafide Lost Mine as we relax and take some time to check out the downed Huons now under a thick canopy of Tea tree, Blackwood, Leatherwood and Sassafras. As we enjoy a Paragon lunch we imagine a landscape that was once devastated as a result of the timber being cut and flumed down into the Queen River valley to be sorted. The valuable species were milled for the timber value but most of it was furnace fuel for energy. Then, what remained on the landscape was destroyed by human initiated wildfire. Some charred remnants can still be seen but nature has vigorously reforested this environment.

Lunch in the forest outside Lynches East Mine portal

Pioneering large scale mining developments required supporting infrastructure such as Smelters and Railways which, via Rob's log, is the inspiration for John and Sabine to once again return to Tasmania's wild west. The old railway site they most desired to visit is 40Km from Queenstown and as planned, we had ample time to explore some other sites which would provide some insight into why the railway relic site was developed.

The old Tasman Smelter site near Zeehan

Silver rich ore was smelted near Zeehan from several mines so we thought it a nice idea to visit some of these old sites on the way. More 4x4 was required to get onto the hill to check out the Silver Queen mine.

Silver Queen shaft headframe

Late 19th/early 20th century mine and smelter developments necessitated use of supporting rail infrastructure. Here is the site that Sabine and John most wanted to check out.

Abandoned rolling stock

Abandoned rolling stock

Old goods carriages now being enveloped by the forest

Disused Railway bridge over the old permanent way of the 2' North East Dundas Tram

Old 3'6" 90Lb rail still in situ on the bridge

Mission accomplished...Oh but wait, there's more!

Now for the unexpected add on bonus. Another new point of interest we had introduced to our interesting things to see and do catalogue since Sabine and John last visited here is a little tour we have called 'BOOM & BUST' which collaborates with another great business here, Penghana House.

Penghana House - Queenstown Tasmania

A nice value add, a thank you for these wonderful guests.