Hi-rail into glorious wilderness

A LAND Rover which runs along ancient railway tracks, then a walk into pristine wilderness. Mike Bingham reports on an amazing day on Tasmania's West Coast.

Unique ... the Piners and Miners tour Land Rover can run on train tracks. Picture: Fiona Hamiton

WELCOME to a world of extraordinary beauty and extreme hardship, accessible in five-star comfort within an hour's flight of Hobart and driven by a vehicle thought to be unique.

The venue is Strahan and the World Heritage Area. The venture is Piners (timber-cutters) and Miners, a 10-hour day tour from Strahan.

If there is a better one-day introduction to wilderness anywhere in the world's hotspots, I would be amazed. This is Tasmania delivering its best – a unique vehicle and environment, accessibility, convict and industrial heritage, value, food and wine, quality accommodation and touring, history and heritage, and skilled staff.

Brian Hall, product development manager for Federal Hotels, developed the tour concept, and the crazy idea that a brand-new Land Rover could be sliced in two, extended, then fitted with train wheels so it could run along railway tracks. Then the train wheels could be retracted for the road.

"It hasn't been done anywhere else in the world, so far as we know," said Brian, whose innovation is dubbed the Hi-Rail.

All the work was done in Tasmania, including fitting the clear roof which enables the vehicle's eight passengers to enjoy the rainforest canopy.

The project, including a 12.5m cruiser to speed guests back up Macquarie Harbour to Strahan at the end of the day, brought the total outlay to close to $1 million.

That's a big wager, but it shapes as a winner given my experience, which began with a 7.15am pick-up in Strahan and ended with a drop-off at Strahan airport for a 40-minute flight back to Hobart.

The pick-up began with a safety briefing.

Our guide Allan revealed the world of convicts, piners, prospectors and madly confident 19th century venture capitalists.

The combination of rolling along the West Coast Wilderness Railway track from Lowana, near Regatta Point, to Lynchford on the outskirts of Queenstown, then heading for Mt Jukes and the Bird River, is stunning.

The Hi-Rail quickly retracts its train wheels, then reverts to a traditional Land Rover. En route to Bird River it follows the other 19th century railway route to Kelly Basin, developed at great cost by the North Lyell Company.

From here, the passengers enjoy a two-hour riverside walk to Kelly Basin and the remnants of East Pillinger, a boom town which died in just three years way back in 1900 or so.

Much of the walk is beside the pristine Bird River, running hard with the flush of summer rains. It is so beautiful our digital cameras rarely take a breath.

The last 200m bring us within the aroma of a luxurious lunch being prepared in a bush camp featuring a large tent complete with flooring.

After lunch, there was time to explore East Pillinger, terminus of the North Lyell railway line.

The hour-long cruise back up the harbour to Strahan (do try the cheese platter and the pinot) is a chance to reflect that man's imprint on this special part of the world is, happily, a transient thing.

The writer was a guest of Pure Tasmania, part of the Federal Group.

The Sunday Mail (QLD)