Gordon Dam
A morning drive from Pedder Wilderniss Lodge to Gordon Dam only takes about 15 minutes. I had just fed a Tasmanian devil in captivity the day before when one ran right in front of my car. Funnily enough, several people here in Tasmania had already told me that I would probably never see them in the wild due to the population collapse. The Tasmanian devil didn't have a good reputation for many years, so it was long thought that the scavenger would prey on livestock and chickens.
After this speculation was refuted, Devil Facial Tumor Disease (DFTD) broke out in the 1990s, reducing the population from over 50,000 animals to a third. Protection and breeding programs were able to stabilize the population, but as is often the case with inbreeding or genetically reduced variability, it is difficult to breed immunologically stable or disease-resistant offspring.
nOnce I reached the viewing platform, a gorge opened up in front of me. The weather conditions in the morning were not too inviting. There were repeated heavy showers on the way to the dam. During my stay, I realized that there were unpredictable weather conditions, especially between the mountains. A light cloud cover quickly turned into a downpour. Sometimes the sky is visible for a moment and suddenly masses of water pour into the canyon. This makes photography challenging.
When I went up to the viewpoint to take some photos, there was no wind at all. So I placed my tripod and camera on the railing. I carelessly left the lens cap on my rucksack. While I was taking pictures, a gust of wind suddenly swept past me, tore the lid off my rucksack and sent it shooting into the abyss like a projectile under the railing...
Gordon Dam is one of the countless hydroelectric power stations in Tasmania. In fact, 80% of its energy needs are met by hydroelectric power stations. This is a pretty impressive figure compared to Europe. However, one must not forget that Tasmania has "only" over 500,000 inhabitants who live in an area 1/5 the size of Germany.
I could even imagine that the people on the island could be much more economical. Up to now, all accommodation has had electric heating and single-glazed windows or, in some cases, poorly insulated windows. Modernization could probably make the use of gas or biomass completely obsolete.
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