A unique adventure awaited us in the UNESCO Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. We experienced the untouched rainforest and the rugged history of Tasmania’s west coast.
Day 13 and 14, Wednesday, September 18 and Thursday, September 19: Strahan
Wednesday morning started at Cradle Mountain National Park with a half an hour walk on “King Billy Track” that took us through mossy forests. By the time we finished, the weather had changed to rain.
After checking out from the cabin, we spent our time in the lobby of the lodge until noon, then started the 2-hour drive to Strahan in the pouring rain.
After checking into the historic and comfortable Franklin Manor for the night, we went for a short walk. We visited the harbour and relaxed for some time in front of a wood-burning fireplace at a public bar – observing the locals – where even free snacks were offered.
Strahan used to be a sleepy fishing village, but in these days it’s one of the most popular destinations of Tasmania. It’s the gateway to the Gordon River and the magnificent World Heritage Area.
On Thursday morning, we collected our boarding pass from the cruise’s office and boarded the Spirit of the Wild for the half-day Gordon River cruise. Luckily our seats were probably the best on the boat (first row), but it was raining (of course!), so the visibility wasn’t that good.
We crossed the harbour reaching its narrow opening, Hells Gates, where the harbour and the Southern Ocean meet. We passed fish farms that produce salmon and trout, and from our guides and character-based interpretations (via videos) we learned about the history of this place.
As we entered the 200 km long Gordon River, our boat switched into “whisper mode,” cruising at a reduced speed, so as not to disturb the fragile ecosystem.
We disembarked at Heritage Landing for half an hour, where we walked on an elevated boardwalk through the world’s largest surviving temperate rainforest and where we were greeted with an unexpected hail storm. We saw many species of plants including a 2000-year old Huon pine tree.
Back on the boat, we had a tasty buffet lunch as we cruised to our next destination, Sarah Island.
Sarah Island once was a penal colony and the largest boat building settlement in the British colonies. From our guide, we heard many stories of the hard life of convicts, soldiers, and settlers there.
The final leg of the journey was cruising back to Strahan and starting our return trip to Launceston. The drive wasn’t the most pleasant for either of us – too many sharp curves and winding roads, punctuated with falling snow and high winds – but especially for Steve, since he no longer likes to drive after dark on the left side of the road.
Upon arrival at the Peppers Seaport Hotel in Launceston (the same we stayed at last Sunday), two nice surprises awaited us. They had again upgraded our original studio room reservation to the same suite we got last time, and we found a complimentary bottle of red wine and chocolate bar, along with a personal note from the manager thanking us for our return business. Not a bad way to finish our Wilderness and Beaches Adventure in Tasmania!
