The Kelly Basin Track (featuring Queenstown and Nelson Falls)

A lovely (if not a bit wet and cold) couple of days spent in Tassie's rugged West Coast.
The Kelly Basin track (also known at the Bird River track) is accessed by following Mt Jukes Road from Queenstown and then turning off onto Kelly Basin Road. The last 5km is very narrow and not reccomended for 2WD drive cars.
From the carpark at Bird River Bridge, it's a roughly 7km walk to the site of Pillinger (some sources will say 5km but I'm pretty sure it's a fair bit further than that). There is no phone reception and the area is also quite remote and not often visited so that's something to take into account when preparing to visit. The track is mostly flat and fairly easy to navigate. Most of the original town of Pillinger has gone but a few brick kilns and boilers still exist, slowly being reclaimed by the forest. To me the walk is not so much about the destination, it's more about the journey through the stunningly dense rainforest which follows the picturesque Bird River.
Photography - Don Hawley
Music - "Another One in C" and "Being in the Moment" by Electric Den

[@JudeOhHecc]

Very pretty scenery!

[@richardhawley8041]

Yeah the West Coast has some amazing scenery and the rain forest is incredibly dense - not surprising given the amount of rainfall. It tends to get a bit overlooked on the tourism trail but I love the West Coast, I think it's very underrated.

[@rogerhawley4986]

very good

[@richardhawley8041]

Thanks Roger

[@tobyrigby7]

Another great video. Love the shots, the sounds (ASMR!). Keep em’ coming. Awesome stuff.

[@richardhawley8041]

Thanks Toby. Appreciate the comments.

[@pamheazlewood9259]

Fabulous, very well done by some one who knows how to use a camera 👀👌

[@richardhawley8041]

Thank you kindly

[@kellyjones0]

Also crediting Andrew the bagpiper at Queenstown for his music.

[@richardhawley8041]

Thanks 👍

[@jacquibaxter1880]

I really want to do this walk while I'm here....is it an absolute you need a 4x4 to get to the start?

[@richardhawley8041]

I wouldn't risk taking a 2WD vehicle in there. In theory it would be possible but some parts of the road are boggy and if you get stuck you'll be a long way from anywhere with no phone reception and it's not a place that you'll be likely to meet anyone else.

[@daman7129]

Your pillinger information is not quite right.

[@richardhawley8041]

How so?