For history buffs and nature enthusiasts who enjoy old settlements amid diverse natural landscapes, this highway trek has plenty. Upon leaving the picturesque waterside village of Strahan, there are opportunities to view the Henty Dunes in the distance towards the coast. The Henty Road eventually takes you to the historic mining town of Zeehan. When heading towards Rosebery, there are some hazardous sections which can be affected by cold and wet weather so take care.
Soon you will arrive at Tullah which is a former mining town on the shores of Lake Rosebery and surrounded by majestic forests and mountains. The lakes around Tullah were formed after damming for hydroelectric schemes and are now well-stocked with brown and rainbow trout (a fishing license is required to fish for them).
One of the natural highlights of the trip is driving through Hellyer Gorge State Reserve, which is a mountainous and heavily forested area, and one of the most impressive sections of the Murchison Highway. Where the highway approaches and crosses the Hellyer River, spectacular views of the gorge and forest exist. Hellyer Gorge is a popular tranquil spot, featuring a nice picnic spot and interpretive walks along the river.
How to Use this Trek Note
- To download this information and the route file for offline use on a phone, tablet, headunit or laptop, go to the app store and purchase ExplorOz Traveller. This app enables offline navigation and mapping and will show where you are as you travel along the route. For more info see the ExplorOz Traveller webpage and the EOTopo webpage.
Environment
The Murchison Highway provides an enjoyable winding route through spectacular cool forests along much of its length. There are some magnificent mountain views, valleys of beautiful Blackwood and Myrtle forests and rows of both natural and planted eucalypt plantations. Some of the fauna that you may see on your journey include: Forester kangaroos, Tasmanian echidnas, wombats and Bennett's wallabies.
There are sections with steep terrain mainly in the central west, which gives way to flatter less winding sections as the route proceeds to the north. The route is characterised by mining towns such as Zeehan and Rosebery in the southwest, forest plantations in the southwest and central sections, and open farmlands in the north.
History
Construction on the Murchison Highway began in 1962 and finished in 1964. Prior to the construction, most transport from the west coast to the north was done via rail on the Emu Bay Railway or ship from Strahan/Regatta Point in Macquarie Harbour. The Murchison Highway which lies between Rayna (near Zeehan) and Somerset (on the north coast), totals 135kms and ranges from 12m to 708m above sea level.
The old mining town of Zeehan was founded in 1882 with the discovery of silver lead. This town which was dubbed the 'Silver City of the West' was once the third largest settlement in Tasmania with a population of 10,000 - today it is around a tenth of that size.
Rosebery is a mining town nestled 145m above sea level in the hills. In 1893, Thomas McDonald discovered alluvial gold along with boulders of lead and zinc sulphide in a creek on the southern slopes of Mount Black. Today, the town’s economy thrives primarily from mining zinc concentrate, and secondary to lead, copper and gold.
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