The Spero River is a
perennial river
A perennial stream is a stream that has continuous flow of surface water throughout the year in at least parts of its catchment during seasons of normal rainfall, Water Supply Paper 494. as opposed to one whose flow is intermittent. In the ab ...
located in the
West Coast or
South West
The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sepa ...
region of
Tasmania
)
, nickname =
, image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdi ...
, Australia.
Course and features
The Spero River rises below Thirkell Hill on an unnamed range within the
Southwest Conservation Area
The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions— north, east, south, and west—eac ...
. The river flows generally north by west, joined by the
Pery River and one minor tributary before reaching its
mouth
In animal anatomy, the mouth, also known as the oral cavity, or in Latin cavum oris, is the opening through which many animals take in food and issue vocal sounds. It is also the cavity lying at the upper end of the alimentary canal, bounded on t ...
and emptying into Spero Bay, south east of
Point Hibbs
Point Hibbs is a headland on the South West Tasmania, south-west coast of Tasmania, Australia. The headland is located south of the most southern point of Macquarie Harbour, and west of the Gordon River. It is the next named feature along the c ...
, eventually flowing into the
Southern Ocean
The Southern Ocean, also known as the Antarctic Ocean, comprises the southernmost waters of the World Ocean, generally taken to be south of 60° S latitude and encircling Antarctica. With a size of , it is regarded as the second-smal ...
. The river descends over its
course.
[
The river mouth is located on a walking track entitled the ''Hibbs Lagoon to ]Low Rocky Point
The Low Rocky Point is a location on the south west coast of Tasmania
)
, nickname =
, image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Tasmania in A ...
'', approximately , 12-days plus, along the south western coast of Tasmania that is considered the most difficult section of the coast. The mouth area has also been subjected to both plans and actual modification of reefs and blockages for navigation of the lower portion of the river. Access to the area in the 1930s was also augmented by tracks from Birchs Inlet on Macquarie Harbour
Macquarie Harbour is a shallow fjord in the West Coast region of Tasmania, Australia. It is approximately , and has an average depth of , with deeper places up to . It is navigable by shallow-draft vessels. The main channel is kept clear by th ...
.
Much of the course of the river is isolated with very limited direct contact with the outside world, however a Huon Pine
''Lagarostrobos franklinii'' is a species of conifer native to the wet southwestern corner of Tasmania, Australia. It is often known as the Huon pine or Macquarie pine, although it is actually a podocarp (Podocarpaceae), not a true pine (Pinacea ...
timber venture in the 1930s and 1940s saw some level of activity in the area.
A small steam ship the ''SS Gundiah'' was specifically bought to service the Spero River timber industry.
The river name is also applied to the cartographic material available from Tasmap for the area.[
]
See also
* Rivers of Tasmania
This page discusses the rivers and hydrography of the state of Tasmania, Australia.
In the geography of Tasmania, the state is covered with a network of rivers and lake systems. As an island, all rivers eventually empty into the waters that su ...
References
South West Tasmania
Rivers of Tasmania
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