We’ve often been asked what our idea of fun is these days, and honestly, this is it. Just travelling, seeing what this incredible country has to offer, and finding ourselves in places like Queenstown. It’s a town that feels like it’s been carved right out of the mountains, and there’s a ruggedness here that you don't find back home in WA.
We’ve set up camp at the local football grounds, and let us tell you, the footballers in this town must be made of different stuff. The entire ground is made of dirt and gravel! Steve was looking at the surface and winced just thinking about someone taking a tackle on that. It’s certainly a change from the lush grass we’re used to, but it suits the tough, mining character of the place perfectly.
The real reason everyone comes to this part of the world, though, is the West Coast Wilderness Railway. We couldn't wait to get down to the station. Seeing that massive steam engine huffing and puffing at the platform really takes you back.
The power of the thing is incredible; the steam hisses out from the sides and completely swallows the tracks in a thick white cloud. It’s a noisy, living thing that smells of coal and old-fashioned hard work. Once we climbed aboard, we were blown away by how beautiful the carriages are.
The inside is all polished timber and warm brass, with those lovely arched windows that frame the wilderness as you roll past. It felt very grand, and Steve joked that we should look into getting the same wood panelling for our own living room. Lisa just rolled her eyes, but she did love how cosy it felt as we started our journey through the rainforest.
The train took us deep into the gorges and over bridges that looked like they were held up by nothing but history and hope. We stopped off at a few stations along the way, including one with the quirky name of Dubbil Barril.
The history of the men who built this line is just mind-boggling. They had to haul copper through terrain that most people wouldn’t even want to walk through, let alone build a railway on. At one of our stops, we even got to try our hand at a bit of gold panning.
Lisa was a natural, swirling the pan in the murky water with a big grin on her face. She managed to find a few specks of "colour" in the bottom of her black pan, though Steve reckons we shouldn't start planning our early retirement just yet. It’s harder work than it looks, especially on the lower back!
Watching the train pull into the remote platforms in the middle of the dense green bush is a sight we won't forget. The black iron of the engine looks so sharp against the ferns and the tall trees.
The day took a bit of a funny turn when we finally returned to town. We headed back towards our camp only to find the bridge was shut tight. We stood there for a minute, scratching our heads, not really fancying the long walk all the way around to the main gates. A group of local kids saw us looking a bit lost and gave us some "expert" local advice—just climb over the gate!
Now, we aren't as nimble as we used to be, but with a bit of a huff and a puff, we managed to scramble over. There was a local footy match happening on that gravel ground at the time, and we felt like we were part of the half-time entertainment. We made it back to our spot in one piece, a bit dusty but having had a brilliant day. It’s these little unexpected moments that make the trip.
