Veronika Wild

A study in desuetude - my first glimpse of Rossarden, reputedly the 'crime capital' of Tasmania Royal George was the first of several former mining towns I was to pass that day – Avoca, Fingal, Mangana – site of Tasmania’s first gold rush in 1852, and many others which have faded away. Not only gold but tungsten, coal and tin were mined in the region which displays evidence of former wealth in substantial churches, old hotels and elaborate shops, despite many of them being closed. The valley communities fortunate enough to have fertile soils and water, or at least passing tourists on their way to the East Coast, have continued to survive if not exactly thrive, while those set back in the hills have disappeared or become ghost towns or mere shadows of their former selves. Rossarden was one of the latter. I was somewhat intrigued by Rossarden, home to Tasmania’s biggest tin mine between 1930 and 1950,  since it has the somewhat dubious distinction of being hailed ...

Sunrise and a riot of parrots at Meetus Falls, N.E. Tasmania I always wondered what lay between those sparse main roads in the north east of our state, shown as large sections of green on my map. Many years ago when my son was learning to drive, we looked for the Lost Falls in this area and found only a dry landscape of rocks - definitely lost. Given that it had rained heavily in the North East – it happens every few years or so, I thought it might be time to have another look. Unfortunately the look of Lake Leake where I had planned to spend the night, was rather desolate - still low, with branches of submerged trees reaching up like ghostly arms from a grave, was enough to put me off. Instead I headed towards a larger fall – Meetus Falls, 10 Km to the north. Lake Leake - maybe it's a good fishing spot The unsealed road to Meetus Falls wasn't too bad, but for the last few kilometres where the track branched off. The Reserve itself, run by Forestry, was proba...