FRIDAY Field Trips

Step back in time and discover one of Tasmania’s most unique heritage attractions at the Salmon Ponds. Nestled in beautiful English style gardens near New Norfolk, this historic site is the birthplace of trout in Australia and the oldest trout hatchery in the Southern Hemisphere. On this field trip, you will enjoy a personalised guided tour led by an Inland Fisheries Service Field Officer, offering expert insights into fish culture, hatchery operations, and the site’s fascinating history. You’ll see and feed a range of trout species on display alongside Atlantic salmon.

There will also be an opportunity to access the Inland Fisheries Service flow through system at a separate facility (but on the same grounds as the Salmon Ponds), where additional non display native fish species may be held—potentially giant freshwater crayfish, pouched lamprey, short finned eels etc. For this part of the field trip attendees will need to wear closed shoes/boots.

Visit one of Tasmania’s newest real-time water quality monitoring sites and gain insight into how innovative monitoring technologies are being used to understand nutrient dynamics in the lower Derwent Catchment. Established in 2025 beside the River Derwent, adjacent to Reid Fruits, this collaborative initiative between the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE Tasmania), the Derwent Estuary Program and Eco Detection showcases the value of high-frequency environmental monitoring for river and estuary management.

The site features a flow meter and a real-time nutrient analyser, with data from both instruments made publicly available in near real time. By measuring river flow alongside dissolved nutrient concentrations, the station provides a clearer picture of nutrient trends, loads and transport processes in the lower reaches of the catchment.

The field visit will include a tour of the monitoring infrastructure and a short presentation delivered by representatives from the Derwent Estuary Program, Eco Detection, and NRE Tasmania’s water monitoring team. Participants will have the opportunity to learn how real-time monitoring data are collected, managed and applied to support evidence-based decision-making for catchment and estuary health.

This visit offers an excellent opportunity for visiting scientists to exchange knowledge, discuss emerging monitoring technologies, and explore practical applications of continuous water quality monitoring in a collaborative management setting.

Departure: Hotel Grand Chancellor at 11:00am sharp & returning approx 4pm
Please arrive at the departure point at least 15 minutes prior.

Cost: $65.00 per person
Includes: Transport, lunch and entry fees

Places are limited, so once registrations open, book quickly to avoid missing out.