Lake Pedder

The original Lake Pedder was a small glacial lake with a beach of pink quartzite sand about three kilometres long, reached by light aircraft landing on the sand, and it was regarded as one of the most beautiful places in Tasmania. In 1972 it was flooded as part of a hydroelectric scheme, despite a campaign that gave rise to the world's first green political party; the impoundment that replaced it is many times larger and holds the original lake somewhere beneath it. Proposals to drain and restore it recur. What visitors see today is a large lake among quartzite ranges, with Mount Eliza and the Frankland Range above, camping at Edgar Dam and access to the southwest wilderness.

The landscape

• The impoundment - a large lake among the quartzite ranges of the southwest.
• The Gordon River Road - the drive west through forest and moorland.
• The Frankland and Arthur ranges - peaks rising above the water.
• The restoration debate - interpretation of the drowned original lake.

When to go

November to April for the mildest weather; the southwest is wet and cold much of the year with rain likely on any day. The road is sealed to Strathgordon. Facilities are minimal beyond the campgrounds and a lodge.

Practical notes

The famous pink beach is under water and cannot be seen; visitors expecting the images from before 1972 will not find them. The area is wet, exposed and often cloud-covered. Services along the road are very limited.

Nearby

Strathgordon and the Gordon Dam lie west; Mount Field is northeast.

Key facts