2 Geckos Travelling Australia: February 2015

17 degrees at 8am and overcast. Back into the jeans and jumpers, just loving their summer!! Forgot to take a photo of the camp spot last night so here it is. Rick’s leftover meat was gone.

Headed out for the walk to Montezuma Falls, supposed to be easy walk but long – 3 hour return. Back over the dam wall, got a photo of how narrow it is.

Beautiful view across the Lake.

Info sign has seen better days.

Mt Murchison top clouded in again.

All misty as we head down the range.

Through Rosebery again and up the range to turn off to Williamsford, abandoned old mining town. Following old narrow road around the hills till we found the car park. Rick had a need so Steve dug out our dunny seat for him. He thought it was great.

Headed off and then laughed our heads off as further up the track was the toilet!!! Why they didn’t they have a sign in the car park!! The sign also said “easy walk” but when we headed off it was a rocky steep descent!!

Across a little bridge over the creek.

Up a rocky track till we went back onto the wide road which used to be the North East Dundas Tramway.

This was the easy walking but the track was very muddy due to the rain and the workers and machinery doing maintenance on the track’s drainage.

Steve decided these falls were good enough.

Crossed over the new bridge – the old one is nearly grown over.

Glad our boots are waterproof as we trudged along.

Across another bridge. Enjoyable walk chatting with the others as we go.

Wandering along on the high bank looking down on the Ring River.

Another info board about how much the vegetation has grown back from the mining days.

Rick started collecting old dog spikes from the tramway.

The boys found a cleared area where a camp used to be. Found bricks, bottles etc.

They had to dig out a lot of dirt to get the tramway through here at an even level.

We were now walking over the old tramway sleepers.

Lots of dog spikes still in the sleepers.

Steve being the train driver tooting his horn.

The further we went the more pronounced the tramway became.

Stopped to check out this mine entrance. Shame we didn’t bring a torch.

Rick headed in first, luckily the flash worked well on my camera.

We couldn’t see anything so just took a photo of what was below us thinking it went down but it was just the muddy bottom and it looks like an old hat.

Took a photo of to one side where Rick thought the tunnel went.

Looking back out to the others.

Kept wandering along till another info board. Took us about 1 ¼ hours so far as we weren’t rushing through the mud etc.

Reminds me of the Barron Falls and Kuranda Train.

Narrow wooden path takes us to the suspension bridge. Leanne and Rick head out onto it.

Steve of course was concerned with how safe it was as he checked out what was holding it up.

It was pretty awesome. I waited till they crossed as it said only 2 people at a time.

It was very narrow in the middle. Looking down to the river and remnants of the old tramway bridge that crossed here.

It certainly wobbled when someone else was on it too. Rick took a photo of me.

Looking up to the base of the falls where Steve was waiting.

The Montezuma Falls were definitely worth the walk, especially from the suspension bridge.

Steve walked back to us at the bridge but he wasn’t coming over.

This side leads down to the river so we went back across and up to the base of the falls where Steve had been.

Zoomed in. 104 metre drop though Steve argues with that – should be a continuous drop!!

Looking back at the suspension bridge.

Cute little birds were flitting about.

Rick climbed over the rocks for a closer look.

Two narrow trees tower over us at the seating area.

Parts of the old tramway bridge lay beside the track.

Started back along the track. I stopped to zoom in on the map showing where the tramway travelled. There is also a 4WD track from Melba Flats into here but as it is wet for walking I am glad we didn’t try and drive in.

Made some lunch and sat with the march flies in the picnic area. Old mine workings on the way back out.

Stopped at Williamsford to read the plaque and have a wander around. The first sentence talks about whether it is raining – so glad it wasn’t. They get 2500mm of rain here each year but mainly as a constant drizzle.

This was the site of the town’s General Store.

There were a few old shacks here that we think either prospectors or 4WDrivers use.

Old boots make good pots.

Stopped at one of the frameworks of the aerial ropeway where a track goes down to the TME site.

Found the sign – only meant for the ants to read though. I decided I would go and meet the others at the bottom where we saw the other towers on the main road.

Old machinery and remnants of the work site for the aerial ropeway. No info though.

Unfortunately it was a circuit and didn’t go down to the road. I had taken the phone and rang Leanne but she didn’t answer, so I just had to walk down the road. I could see the towers and hear them talking on the main road so I yelled out to come and get me. Zoomed in on the old buckets hanging on the ropes.

Got down to the intersection when Steve drove round the corner. This cutout is a tribute to the work horses of the mines.

Steve drove me back up to where the ropeway crossed the road but there wasn’t any more info. Got a few more photos though.

Back in Rosebery. Great mural.

Rosebery Mine is still functioning. Had a sign at the entrance – “Australia’s Safest Mine? (Not yet but we are working on it.)”

Drove around to check out Stitt River Falls. Different one as the lookout was left of the top of the falls and we couldn’t look at the falls front on.

Stopped to go into the IGA for a couple of things. While we were waiting for Leanne and old chap wandered across the road with his walker then came up to my window, turned his walker around and sat down for a chat. He was originally from Townsville and we got the life story how he came to end up here as a miner – of course there was a girl in it!! His old lumberjack coat was covered in dog hairs but he was nice enough and just wanted to chat to some Queenslanders.

Headed off again up the range. Mt Murchison is clear of clouds this time.

Turned off to check out Murchison Dam which is a long skinny dam.

Looking at the other side of Mt Murchison.

Victoria Peak towers over the lake.

Stopped on the dam wall for a cuppa. Looking straight down the wall to the water.

The boys went to check out the spillway area.

The water goes into the inlet and through a tunnel. The old sign needs fixing up.

Back down the road we stopped to check out the Sophia Tunnel. No good echoes here.

We noticed a lot of the poles need straightening up and when we stopped at the lookout Steve could nearly touch the cables.

Lovely view up the river/dam even though most of the lookout is covered with trees.

Back on the main road and Mt Murchison peak is under cloud again.

Stopped at Tullah. The houses here were definitely a mining town look. Then it became the town for the Hydro-electric scheme settlement when they built the dams. It was the last of 11 Hydro construction villages.

Mt Farrell, location of galena, an important ore for silver mining in the mid 1800s.

We went round to the boat ramp where a guy had put in his ski boat to take the kids for a tube. Tullah is on the banks of Lake Rosebery which was created with the damming of the Pieman River. Feeder rivers were the Mackintosh and Murchison Rivers. Travellers can overnight here too.

Further up the road we stopped to check out “Wee Georgie Wood” train. But first across the road was more information boards etc. Information about the mine on Mt Farrell.

This is the winder frame (what I have been calling a poppet head!!) and winding winch that would lift the cage out of the mine shaft. It was originally a steam winch when it was used at the old mill. It was converted to electric when power came to Tullah. It was used at Farrell Mine for taken the men underground and for hoisting the ore to the surface.

Not very roomy.

More info about Hell’s Gates and the feud between Crotty and Kelly.

About the creation of the town of Tullah in 1898 and how it survived when it grew again with the Hydro-electric village bringing life back into the town again in 1982. Again there aren’t many people living here but tourism and the curiosity of the state’s history keeps all these places alive.

Another of the old style metal signs about the Mt Farrell Mines.

Amazing to read of what our ancestors accomplished with so little.

Across the road we checked out Wee Georgie Wood. It was closed but we could look through the fence. Cute little passenger car. It was made in 1920 by the Mt Lyell Mining and Railway Company using early 1900s boogies from ore cars and used on the Mt Lyell two foot gauge system till 1965.

Wee Georgie Wood Fowler Steam Locomotive was built in 1924 by Fowler Ltd. This locomotive was used on the North Mount Farrell Tramway until it closed in 1964 following the sale of the mine to Electrolytic Zinc Company. It was named Wee Georgie Wood by Fowler employees after a noted Scottish vaudeville artist at the time. Another similar locomotive called Wee Mary was introduced in 1928. In 1946 both locomotives were due for overhaul and a single composite locomotive was built from parts of the two. This retained the name Wee Georgie Wood. They take passengers for a 25 minute ride on weekends.