Queenstown

• Summary
• Weather for Queenstown

Historic Queenstown, the largest settlement on Tasmanias west coast, is best known for its copper mines and smelters. Contrasting against the the scarred hills, beautiful wilderness walks lead through dense forests teeming with native wildlife to spectacular lookouts and waterfalls, including the famous Montezuma Falls, which are Tasmania's highest.

The perfect way to explore the rest of regions natural beauty is on the West Coast Wilderness Railway, a steam engine train that meanders along the restored Mt Lyell Mine railway that was originally built in the late 19th century. the Journey takes you from Queenstown to the port of Strahan, a beautiful coastal town 35 kilometres away. The West Coast Wilderness Railway is considered one of Australias great historic train journeys, and is a must for visitors to Tasmania.

The town was established in the 1890s when copper was discovered in the surrounding mountains. The mountains, stripped by mining of all their vegetation, became a tourist attraction, but technology has progressed and the vegetation is now slowly returning.

While you are in town, you can visit Miners Siding and the Galley Museum, or venture underground on a tour that reveals Queenstowns rich mining history. These tours claim to be the only that take you to the working face of a mine. The town has an interesting collection of timber architecture left from early mining days and is the main focus of the national project to restore the old and rare Abt railway.

There is an excellent museum that covers a hundred years of mining and community development in the area. The road into and out of the town passes through stark mountain scenery and drivers need to keep their wits about them. Queenstowns spectacular natural waterfalls and its equally impressive man-made quarries and mines are a two-hour drive from Burnie, or three hours along the Lyell Highway (A 10) from Hobart.