Sublime Beauty - Tasmania’s Western Wilderness
Pedder Wilderness Lodge
I sit at the bar at Pedder Wilderness Lodge and in between journalling I gaze out at Lake Pedder with the glory of the Frankland Range beyond. War has been on my mind, I find the conflict in Ukraine difficult to comprehend. It’s not just on my mind, one of the team here is from Poland. Her family is still there, the war, even so far away is so close to many. The spine of the ranges are framed by a bright yellow as the sun drops and before the cloud the yellow meets a beautiful deep sky blue above. It looks eerily like a Ukrainian flag. A sign I wonder? I get back to my journalling.
I’d never considered a trip to Lake Pedder before, but work drew me here but I can assure you it will be a holiday that lures me back. The serene beauty of the lake framed by the ranges is almost surreal. I was lucky to be allocated a very comfortable room at the lodge where I could wake at dawn and watch the sunlight slowly illuminate the lake. At breakfast I watch the sun burn off the early cloud and the grey water morph to blue. All the whilst eating the best scrambled eggs I’ve had in a decade. The afternoon offered a deep blue vista and a windless evening affords any photographer mirror like glassy waters.
Walkers and lovers of nature and modern history, activities are in abundance. The Gordon Dam, an Australian engineering marvel of its time is only a 10km drive away. The lodge’s staff will happily give recommendations of local walks and other activities.
The lodge’s bar and dining room is warm but unpretentious. You could say the same of the staff. I delight in amazing natural oysters and a delicious ocean trout on my first night. As another guest remarks to me- the food is amazing for somewhere so remote. I’m inclined to agree.
The whiskey wall is where a weary traveller might retire. It is a sight to behold. All of Tasmania’s finest on display, it’s a real feature of the lodge and a talking point. It’s getting late, couples can play pool, lounge on the couches near the fire playing board games and diners start to populate the dining room.
I look up again at those imposing ranges. The yellow and blue has dissolved into a dusty pink. War seems a million miles away again. The orchestral music in the bar seems to capture my mood. I re-commit to my resolve to do more business in regional Australia. It’s a place where I always seem to find the unexpected and the sublime.
Edmond Power is the principal and founder of Power Hotel People. A boutique executive recruitment and talent management agency for the tourism industry. He has 20 years of experience in hotel operations, marketing, sales and strategic human resources.
Disclaimer Pedder Wilderness Lodge is a client of Devilbend Asset Management, parent company of Power Hotel People.