Starting out for the source of the Derwent River

I turned north and walked off the Lyell Highway along the road leading to Lake St Clair and other locations including the source of the Derwent River.  As I walked beside the River, I revelled in the colours of that pure water, and in the mystery of its twists and turns.

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The water clarity was such that I could see the bottom of the River easily.

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I passed an area designed for helicopters to land. There were none waiting, but I heard and saw many flying around every day giving tourists a bird’s eye views of the terrain.

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I loved the sign alerting drivers to be aware of walkers. The one below amused me because it was placed about 1 or 2 kms from the Lyell Highway and it occurred to me that if walkers were on the road after the sign then they had to be on the road before the sign as well. Like me.

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Then there was one of my favourite tall-story telling signs.

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This sign suggests our Tasmanian Kangaroos are larger and stronger than a car.  While mainland Australia has some giant sized ‘roos, our Tasmanians grow to a more modest size. However, in any collision, while our kangaroos won’t pick up a car, the power of the contact as they jump into the car’s path can send a car careering off the road perhaps towards a tree, or severely dent it, and personal injuries may result.  That is, both our kangaroos and our wallabies can unexpectedly cause major vehicle accidents.  By the way, our wildlife do not know what we write on signs. When a sign alerts motorists to be aware between dusk and dawn, they may be forgiven if surprised by an animal running or hopping on the road at other times of day.  Motorists must expect a rare occasion when a ‘Jonathan Living Seagull’, a maverick, an animal demonstrating great independence will suddenly appear.

On a more pleasant note and through my walk, the early morning birdsong was a delight. Listen to their crystal clear sounds on this video.

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