March 2, 2024

Day 11: Strahan and the Gordon River Cruise



I survived "glamping." In fact, I rather enjoyed it. The tent was well appointed, the bed was very comfortable, and  it was nice and toasty. We did get some rain, and it was kind of soothing to hear the rain beat down on the tent. After our showers this morning, we left around 8 AM to get to Strahan for our 9 AM Gordon River cruise.



Western Tasmania is very remote. Most of this area is protected wilderness. There is no cell service, and there is very little development. The scenery is beautiful with rolling hills with the western mountains in the background.


We arrived on time and boarded our boat, the Habour Master II. The boat is run by a local family who has been in business for over a hundred years working the river, both as tour operators and loggers.  The Harbour Master II is affectionately known as the big red boat. 



The tour left promptly at 9 AM. The boat begins its tour in the Macquarie Harbour. It is one of the biggest harbours in Australia. In the past, it was used to ship timber to the rest of Australia. The boat explores the harbour and takes you to Hells Gate. Hell's Gate is a shallow and narrow entrance to the harbour. As you travel thru Hells Gate, you get a sense of how dangerous this was for boats in the past, who did not have any of the modern navigational aids to help guide them. 

    





Our next stop was Sarah Island. It was also a convict facility and it predated Port Arthur. It was a site for those who had reoffended after being transported to Tasmania. The island was a facility of hard labour. It was established in 1821. and operated until 1833. It was known as Hell on Earth by those who were forced to endure it. We did a guided tour that explained the history and stories behind the island. The tour was very informative and brought many of the stories to life. There are very few remains on the island, as most  remains were destroyed or have deteriorated over the years. It was easy to see why this was considered such an awful place. Not only is Sarah Island remote but even if convicts escaped, there was no where for them to run to. I enjoyed this visit a lot, and the tour guide was first rate.








After Sarah Island, we made our way up the Gordon River. This takes you into the heart of the temperate rain forest. It was here that loggers cut down the Huon Pine, a tree that is only found in this part of Tasmania. The Huon Pine was a valuable tree that was used in ship building and for furniture. The tree grows very slowly and many trees are well over 800 years old. Today, the pine is a protected species and logging is not allowed. The forest is a lush green and you can find pines and beech trees in abundance. There are also many ferns and fungi abound. It is is one of the largest remaining untouched rainforest in the world.  









The cruise was one of the highlights of our trip. The service on board was first rate and the lunch provided was very good. We spent six hours on the boat and spent the rest of the day relaxing and then going out for dinner.










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