The hike up to Mount Abrupt offers some of the most scenic mountain views in all of Victoria. (And even more so in the pre-dawn glow.) The pastel sunrise bathed the rugged peaks of The Grampians in light, with Signal Peak standing strong in the distance.

The mountains of Fiordland come alive with fleeting falls during heavy downpours. At Milford Sound, waterfalls cascade down from the peaks to flow into raging rapids.

Glorious evening light in Victoria’s unforgiving High Country. Giant granite boulders stand guard over the peaks of Mount Buffalo and beyond.

A serene evening overlooking Lake Carezza. All was calm across the water as the mighty spires of the Dolomites caught the fading light.

A glorious sunrise over the rugged and remote Western Arthurs, deep in Tasmania’s South West Wilderness. These mountain peaks are simply stunning from the air.

With clear skies forecasted over Tasmania’s remote southwest region, I chartered a scenic flight over the Western Arthurs. Taking off before dawn, we were greeted by golden light illuminating sights like Lake Oberon and Federation Peak—crowned “Australia’s only real mountain” by Sir Edmund Hillary.

During my Tassie trip, I picked up a second-hand copy of Pedder Dreaming. It chronicles Olegas Truchanas—photographer and adventurer—and the efforts of a passionate few to save Lake Pedder from needless damming in the 1970s.

Progress marched on and so did the rising waters. The reservoir drowned ecosystems and the pink quartzite beach that would appear like sweeping piano keys each summer.

Yet the campaign sparked a spirited conservation movement that would save the Franklin River a decade later.

This scene shows a tiny fragment of the reservoir that’s still known as Lake Pedder. On the surface, it’s decidedly beautiful. But it’s a shallow substitute for the wilderness that once was.