Cruising Macquarie Harbour & Gordon River

No visit to the west coast of Tasmania is complete without a cruise on Macquarie Harbour and the ancient, mirror like water of the Gordon River. This magnificent waterway was the subject of international attention in the early 1980s when conservationists stopped the building of a dam across the river. The waters of this river meander down from the Central Highlands, through breathtaking a World Heritage-listed temperate rainforests to the mouth of Macquarie Harbour. A huge natural protected body of water, Macquarie Harbour surrounds the ruins of Tasmania's most infamous convict stations in the south and gives way to the wild ocean through the narrow and turbulent Hell's Gates.

Set on a quiet bay at the northern end of Macquarie Harbour, Strahan is the departure point and home for all cruises of Macquarie Harbour and Gordon River. Strahan is a small, picturesque frontier-style town with an abundance of character and a variety of stories to tell of the West Coast's pioneering days. From its beginnings as the location for bushmen seeking precious Huon pine, Strahan became the railway port for a rich copper mine inland. The Gordon River flows through ancient Tasmanian rainforests, emptying its water - browned by the oils of the huon pine - into Macquarie Harbour south of Strahan. Unlike other Tasmanian destinations like Freycinet's sunny coastlines and Cradle Mountain's rugged alpine peaks, Strahan's landscapes, waves and weather are wild and elemental - typical of the south west Tasmanian World Heritage Wilderness in which it is located. Surprisingly accessible by road, Strahan has become an eco-tourism mecca without sacrificing any of its waterfront charm.

How To Get There: Drive south along Lyell Highway from the north-west of Tasmania, or north from Hobart to Queenstown; follow the signs to Strahan.

Itineraries for most Macquarie Harbour and Gordon River cruises include:

Macquarie Harbour: the second-largest harbour in Australia, six times the size of Sydney Harbour. It is fed by many rivers, not the least is the Gordon River, which would have been damned many years ago had not the Federal Government intervened and saved it in 1984. The Franklin River flows into the Gordon. Macquarie Harbour is steeped in history. It was on its southern shore that Tasmania's first penal settlement was established in 1822 on Sarah Island (Port Arthur was established in 1834, after Sarah Island was declared unsatisfactory). Mining and forestry operations based around the magnificent Huon pine, famous for its oily shipbuilding qualities, commenced in the 1880s, making Strahan, the small fishing village now the centre of activities on Macquarie Harbour, the second-busiest port in Tasmania a century ago. The real glory of Macquarie Harbour is, however, its setting; the Gordon River and surrounding wilderness are other worldly. The dense, temperate rainforest is dark, gloomy and teeming with life. It is through this wild environment that the West Coast Wilderness Railway winds its way from Strahan to Queenstown. The 40km-long Ocean Beach receives waves unimpeded since they left Patagonia on the southern tip of South America. The Henty Dunes just to the north are sand, but at certain times look like snow, providing a lunar-like landscape. Cruises on Macquarie Harbour visit Strahan's Atlantic Salmon and Ocean Trout Fish farms, with their black rings dotted on the water’s surface.

Lower Gordon River	Sarah Island penal settlement ruins

Sarah Island: Sarah Island (or Settlement Island) is found in the far south west corner of Macquarie Harbour and cruises on Macquarie Harbour stop here so passengers may alight and inspect the convict station ruins at close quarters. This isolated island was a Penal Settlement between 1822 and 1833, established, before the more well-known Port Arthur, as a place of 'secondary' punishment, an attempt to control the uncontrollable. Over time Sarah Island has gained a reputation as a place of unspeakable horrors and a living hell, largely due to the exploits of one of the island's 'colourful' characters, Alexander Pearce, the Cannibal Convict, and a novel "For the Term of His Natural Life" written about 1860 by Marcus Clark. The novel, although based on actual events, is a fiction which set out to create Sarah Island as a living hell for its hero, Rufus Dawes.

Gordon River: one of the major rivers of Tasmania, Australia, Gordon River rises in the centre of the island and flows westward. Major tributaries include the Serpentine River and the Franklin River. The entire course of the Gordon River is an uninhabited wilderness area. The differentiation between the Upper Gordon River catchment and the Lower Gordon River was made by what were considered impassable gorges - known as the Gordon Splits. Cruises from Strahan visit only the Lower Gordon River. The section visited is part of the World Heritage area and contains a pristine cold-climate rainforest with rare trees. As with many rivers in western Tasmania, the water is fresh and drinkable, but has the colour of weak tea due to the absorption of tannin from button grass growing in the catchment area.

Hells Gate: Huge tidal surges and a sandbar have claimed many vessels over the years at Hells Gate, the narrow entrance to the vast Macquarie Harbour. At only 120 meters wide, the hazardous Hells Gate has been a challenge for sailors since it was discovered in 1815. The entrance is believed to have been named by convicts in reference to the hellish conditions on the Sarah Island penal colony in the harbour.

Salmon Farm: Atlantic salmon are raised in inland hatcheries then transferred to floating pens like those in Macquarie Harbour, where they grow to market size. Commercial farming of Atlantic Salmon only began in Tasmania in the mid-1980s and is now worth more than $150 million a year. Tasmania grows the only farmed salmon in the world that does not require treatment to remove impurities.

World Heritage Walk: Enter the silence of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area on a rainforest walk at Heritage Landing, beside the ancient Gordon River. Stroll through some of the world's last remaining temperate rainforest, featuring myrtles, leatherwood trees and species of native pines found only in Tasmania. A raised timber walkway leads through the damp forest to a fallen giant - a 2000-year-old Huon Pine that has fallen to the ground but continues to support new life in the form of saplings.

Salmon Farm, Macquarie Harbour	Lady Jane Franklin II at Strahan

Sample cruise: Lady Jane Franklin II

Lady Jane Franklin II is a luxuriously appointed vessel. Cruises include two guided shore excursions, with knowledgeable guides to ensure the experience is interesting and informative. On the main deck of the Lady Jane Franklin II guests can select from two seating styles - atrium and window seating. All are forward facing, spacious and comfortable. Wherever you sit, Lady Jane Franklin II's floor to ceiling windows give you superb views of rainforest and river, mountains and harbour. Buffet lunch with all day tea and coffee is provided.
The premium option is the Captain's Premier Upper Deck. This offers a luxury sightseeing experience, with leather seating, a private viewing deck, and a dedicated nature guide. A chef prepared gourmet lunch of local delicacies including seafood, Tasmanian cheeses and other regional specialities, with complimentary Tasmanian wines and premium beers, is included. A courtesy transfer is available for passengers to and from their Strahan accommodation.
Cruise duration: 6 hours. Cruises depart the wharf at Strahan at 8.30am daily, with a 2:15pm return. The Lady Jane Franklin II also departs for an afternoon cruise during peak season.

Gordon River Cruising on the internet:

• Lady Jane Franklin II Cruises: info. and rates
• World Heritage Cruising
• West Coast Yacht Charters: One Night Gordon River Cruise
• Strahan Marine Charters