Episode 26 | What The River Taught Us
Episode 26 | What The River Taught Us
Embedded Files
During our recent trip to Tasmania, we had a surprising highlight. Our hike to The Confluence — the meeting place of two rivers — and what we found was confronting. The Queen River, once flowing clear through the Tasmanian wilderness, is now known as Australia’s most polluted waterway.
Decades of mining in Queenstown left more than a scar on the land — they poisoned the water, stripped the hills bare, and rewrote the natural order. In this episode, we explore the legacy of mining, the price of progress, and a personal reflection on what standing in that space stirred.Â
Virtual Tour
Virtual Tour
Virtual Tour
Virtual Tour
Go on a Google Earth Tour to visualise the locations spoken about in this episode of 'If these Trees Could Talk'Â Â
Just a quick note:
The content I have included throughout this episode and here below, reflects my own thoughts, feelings, and priorities — particularly when it comes to the environmental impact of mining in Queenstown and salmon farming in places like Macquarie Harbour. There will be no mistaking my position if you watch the suggested content below. These are complex issues, and while I’ve shared my personal perspective, it’s only one piece of the puzzle.Â
Just a quick note:
The content I have included throughout this episode and here below, reflects my own thoughts, feelings, and priorities — particularly when it comes to the environmental impact of mining in Queenstown and salmon farming in places like Macquarie Harbour. There will be no mistaking my position if you watch the suggested content below. These are complex issues, and while I’ve shared my personal perspective, it’s only one piece of the puzzle.Â
There’s been a lot of political, legal, and environmental debate. If you’re curious, I really encourage you to do your own research, explore different sources, and come to your own conclusions.
There’s been a lot of political, legal, and environmental debate. If you’re curious, I really encourage you to do your own research, explore different sources, and come to your own conclusions.
Shannon...
Shannon...
Rafting the most polluted river in Australia.
Rafting the most polluted river in Australia.
Beau Miles
BAD RIVER: Deep within a midlife adventure crisis, I find myself in Tasmania, about to descend a sickly orange, biologically dead river the locals call pumpkin soup. Seeking out places that aren't always the prettiest, wildest or biggest, the Queen River, after 100 years of runoff from a mine, is considered the most polluted river in Australia.Â
For two days I had a hard time reconciling between the tremendous damage humanity is capable of, and how that same energy and desire must be used to fix this very big problem. That, and the fact there were times on the river, deep within the wonders of Tasmania’s landscape, I had to remind myself I was floating on water that can’t support life.
North by Northwest
North by Northwest
LOWCO Au
What are the implications for the north of Tasmania if the proposed salmon farms go ahead?Â
The world's biggest meat company is built on corruption and it's growing in Australia | Four Corners
The world's biggest meat company is built on corruption and it's growing in Australia | Four Corners
ABC News In-depth
You may not have heard of them, but JBS is the biggest meat company in the world. It controls a lot of the food you buy in the supermarket including beef, pork, lamb and salmon. You'll even find their meat between your burger buns at McDonald's.
But despite its size and reach, JBS is a company built on corruption and bribery; tainted by charges and accusations of malpractice and environmental crimes.Â
While some foreign governments are holding the company to account, Australian politicians have given JBS the green light to grow.
Why?
Places to Visit
Places to Visit
Our Adventures
Our Adventures
Beach breakfasts, delicious dinners, morning swims, no starlink photos and mean texts from Megan in the town where Scott won't buy me a pub! (Marrawah)
Beach breakfasts, delicious dinners, morning swims, no starlink photos and mean texts from Megan in the town where Scott won't buy me a pub! (Marrawah)
Hiking to the Confluence
Hiking to the Confluence
The Queen River
The King River (upstream from the confluence)
Gotta put the mushroom photos somewhere....
and...... this is why I can't reply to texts on my birthday!
Source Information
Source Information
ABC News, 2016. Fix the rivers: Challenge for Tas PhD students. [online] ABC News. Available at: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-09-24/fix-the-rivers-challenge-for-tas-phd-students/7874112 [Accessed 2 Jul. 2025].
Australia Institute, 2024. The big stink of Tasmanian salmon farms: Six times more pollution than Tasmanian sewage. [online] The Australia Institute. Available at: https://australiainstitute.org.au/post/the-big-stink-of-tasmanian-salmon-farms-six-times-more-pollution-than-tasmanian-sewage/ [Accessed 2 Jul. 2025].
Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW), 2014. Estimation of water quality over time within the Queen and King Rivers, Tasmania [SSR 126]. [online] Supervising Scientist. Available at: https://www.dcceew.gov.au/science-research/supervising-scientist/publications/ssr/estimation-water-quality-over-time-within-queen-and-king-rivers [Accessed 2 Jul. 2025].
Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW), 2014. The impact of historical mining operations at Mount Lyell on water quality and biological health in the Queen and King Rivers, Tasmania [SSR 124]. [online] Supervising Scientist. Available at: https://www.dcceew.gov.au/science-research/supervising-scientist/publications/ssr/impact-historical-mining-operations-mount-lyell-water-quality-and-biological-health [Accessed 2 Jul. 2025].
EPA Tasmania, 2017. Macquarie Harbour World Heritage Area Environmental Status Report. [pdf] Available at: https://epa.tas.gov.au/Documents/Macquarie%20Harbour%20TWWHA%20Environmental%20Status%20Report%2C%20EPA%2C%20May%202017.pdf [Accessed 2 Jul. 2025].
EPA Tasmania, 2023. Mt Lyell Acid Drainage Remediation. [online] Available at: https://epa.tas.gov.au/business-industry/regulation/remediation/mt-lyell-acid-drainage-remediation [Accessed 2 Jul. 2025].
Green Left Weekly, 2023. Study finds pollution in Tasmanian waters. [online] Green Left. Available at: https://www.greenleft.org.au/content/study-finds-pollution-tasmanian-waters [Accessed 2 Jul. 2025].
Marine Conservation Tasmania, 2025. Salmon polluting Macquarie Harbour. [online] Available at: https://www.marineconservation.org.au/ttt-summer-2025-salmon-polluting-macquarie-harbour/ [Accessed 2 Jul. 2025].
Rao, A., Moran, C. and Butler, B., 2023. Understanding the impact of historical mine waste on the Queen River, Tasmania. Mine Water and the Environment, [online] 42(3), pp.429–444. Available at: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10230-023-00943-5 [Accessed 2 Jul. 2025].
Sustainable Minerals Institute (SMI), 2023. Understanding the impact of historical mine waste on river systems in Tasmania. [blog] University of Queensland. Available at: https://smi.uq.edu.au/blog/2023/07/understanding-impact-historical-mine-waste [Accessed 2 Jul. 2025].
Wikipedia, 2024. Queen River (Tasmania). [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_River,_Tasmania [Accessed 2 Jul. 2025].
WWF Australia, 2021. Review of Eco-standards for salmon farming in Macquarie Harbour. [pdf] Available at: https://assets.wwf.org.au/image/upload/v1/website-media/resources/Review-of-Ecostandards-for-salmon-farming-in-MH_1Sept2021 [Accessed 2 Jul. 2025].
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