Long day New Norfolk to Lake Pedder and return

The planned trip for today was Lake Pedder/Lake Gordon and return, with whatever we found on the way.
The first stop was at the Salmon Ponds just outside New Norfolk. This is a beautiful area that has been running as a Trout and Salmon farm since 1861.The gardens and the layout are well worth a visit. The plan at the start was to breed Salmon but when they were released they didn't return after they went out to sea. The Trout although not the prime aim initially became the main work. As well as feeding the different fish, during the walk along the river we saw a platypus foraging in the rocks for food. The bonus was that the Café served great pancakes and coffee



The next stop was the Mt Field National Park after passing through a number of small towns, some with shops and eateries. The park was well set up with a large day picnic area and a camp ground with both powered and unpowered sites. We had originally thought about staying here, but due to the fact that it is a long weekend and you can't book (First come first served) On the walk we saw 2 Paddy melon Wallabies and numerous fish in the creek. We stopped at the Russell Falls and then took the loop track back to the car park.



We then drove to the Lake Gordon Power Station and dam stopping at the numerous lookouts and places of interest. The town of Maydena was particularly well preserved and had a number of buildings that were from a past era. The road raises over a range and then drops down to Lake Pedder on the left and Lake Gordon on the right. The high pass is marked with an interesting sign that gives the height and the average annual rainfall.



The township of Strathgordon is the settlement built for the construction of the dam and power station and has now been established as a tourist centre with accommodation and meals etc.

Only the first 1.8 metres of water is used from Lake Pedder to add to the water in Lake Gordon via a channel to supply water for Hydro Power. The power station is under ground and fed with water direct from Lake Gordon down the intake tower which is visible in the water in front of the switchyard. The water then returns to the Gordon River about 1.5 km downstream.