Derby & a day trip up the North Eastern Tasmania

We decided to move to Derby quite early so that we could leave the motorhome behind whilst we tackled some of the coastal drives in one day. We took a picnic basket of goodies to make some ham and salad wraps at whichever of the spots we decided would become our lunch spot!

Legerwood -the old train station and toilet block

Legerwood

Our first stop on the way to Derby was at Legerwood with its famous war memorial carvings commemorating some of the local lads that gave their lives during World War One. Each carving has a description of the person and who and what they did prior to the war. It made it a much more touching tribute and brings it home that these brave young men had real lives affecting the community as well as their loved ones. We took photos of each and every carving though to post them all here would drive you crazy. It is worth noting that Scottsdale also has one multi carving in their war memorial too. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was by the same chainsaw artist!

Legerwood - War memorial carving

Michelle trying to listen to the bugler!

Little Blue Lake

On with the drive, taking us through some very small communities that appear to be slowly dying out though obviously the farms are always needed. Just a kilometre beyond South Mt Cameron ( a very small village – not a mountain) there is a tiny sign on the right to Blue Lake. Don’t drive past, it is well worth the short stop there. The lake is viewed from on high and is truly a very blue colour and there is a board explaining why it is so blue. There are no facilities there but it would be a nice place for a quiet picnic.

Little Blue Lake

Derby

We went for a short drive and walk around this quaint little village that seems as though it never left a bygone era. There are a few coffee shops and art/craft shops in town as well as a couple of museums.

Free camping at Derby

Briseis Dam Disaster Memorial

Back in 1929 the Briseis Dam could not contain the waters after unprecedented heavy rainfalls in recent days and it broke sending a gigantic wave of water both downstream and upstream causing great loss of life including a whole family sitting down to dinner as well as property in the area.
There is a tin museum and memorial building in Derby consecrated to the tin mining and this disaster and there is a very interesting display area with a huge panoramic video presentation of the disaster inside.

Briseis Dam Disaster Museum

Glow Worm tunnel

Just a short drive or even a walk on the far side of the village is a tunnel just over the bridge in which you can find glow worms. I was particularly interested in seeing this as I have never seen glow worms before. Rob came in for a short while which was just as well as I had no idea what it was I was looking for. These worms hang down from the ceiling. My photo doesn’t show the glow part which is just at the tip of the worms but from this I was able to go further into the tunnel and see some more. There wasn’t heaps of them (at least I didn’t see heaps) but at least I can now say I have seen glow worms. I am surprised at just how skinny they are! I wonder what they feed on, what makes the glow and so forth.

Glow wormshang from the ceiling of the tunnel