On the final leg of our trip to Wilsons Prom (and beyond), we drove from the Mount Baw Baw ranges to the Thomson Dam, which is located just a short distance away from the alpine region. While the view of the dam was pretty awesome in terms of its sheer size, it was also a sad reminder of how severely dehydrated Australia is. The water levels were so low that the dam, which has a capacity of 1,068,000 megalitres, was only 16.7% full (178,783 megalitres).
A view of the Thomson River showing how far water levels have dropped over the years.
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This huge canal used to be full of rushing water cascading down the sides of the hill. Now it is just bare concrete.
These granite rocks and concrete wall helped to keep the water in during the heydays of hydration.
A nice view of the river which has become a still lake and reservoir, with the mountain ranges of Baw Baw in the background.
A close-up view of the tower in the middle of the dam. I wonder what they call this building?
A little memorial park with a symbolic rock located adjacent to the dam.
Our next and final destination was the historic Walhalla town. During the boom days of gold mining, some 5,000 people used to live here, prospecting, digging and filling their pockets with the precious nuggets and ore. Today, it is a tourist destination with hotels and restaurants located beside the old minefields where “gold diggers” used to work in. Unfortunately, due to the time in which we arrived, most of the attractions were closed so we could only take some photographs to capture the essence of the place.
The mountainous road leading to Walhalla, glistening in the rain.
Apparently, this was one of Victoria’s oldest fire station. I doubt that it has seen much action lately.
After a hard day’s work of digging, tunnelling and seiving, nothing beats a beer at The Corner pub.
This little mound of bricks is actually a historic wall which belonged to the original settlement during the mid 19th century or so.
Fancy living in a historic town? These blue wooden cabins may just be the place for you.
A view of the town taken beside the river/drain.
The Mountainer Brass Band Rotunda is apparently still being used today for little get togethers and functions, offering a quaint getaway for those jaded with city living.
