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Cruising the Gordon River
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The
Gordon River
is deep, its waters dark from the tannin leaching out of buttongrass plains - even the tap water in Strahan is brown (though perfectly fine to drink). Cruise boats used to travel as far as Sir John Falls, 30km upriver, but the speed at which the boats had to go was causing the river banks to erode. Boats now travel only the 14km to
Heritage Landing
, where there's a chance to see a section of real
rainforest
: a boardwalk above the rainforest floor allows you to get close without disturbing anything. Trunks and branches of ancient myrtles and Huon pines provide homes for mosses, lichens and liverworts on their bark, and ferns and fungi grow from the trunks - even the dead trees support some forms of life, however lowly. The wet and swampy conditions are ideal for
Huon pines
, a threatened tree species found only in Tasmania: they're the second-oldest living things on earth after the bristlecone pines of western North America, with some trees found to be more than ten thousand years old. The massive pines, which may reach a height of 40m, can grow from seed but more often regenerate vegetatively, putting down roots where fallen branches touch the soil. The vast tree at the landing, reckoned to be around 2000 years old, split in two during 1997 - one half fell to the ground - but the trunk won't rot for up to one hundred years as it contains methyl eugenol oil which slows fungal growth. The oil content of the wood helps explain why it was so highly sought after as one of the few green Tasmanian timbers that floats: Huon pine logs were floated down to the boom camp and there fashioned into huge rafts to be rowed across Macquarie Harbour. The
boom camp
is still set up, and anyone can stay for free - all you need to bring is bedding and food - and you need to rent a kayak (from Hell's Gate Wilderness Tours) to be dropped off near the mooring by the
Wanderer II
.
Two operators offer
river cruises
; both visit Sarah Island and make a thirty-minute stop at Heritage Landing. To make the most of the experience, turn up early to bag a good seat and bring water- and windproof gear so you can brave the prow of the boat - much the most exhilarating spot when you whizz through Macquarie Heads (Hells Gates). The larger operator,
Gordon River Cruises
(half-day cruise departs 9am, returns 2pm, $50 including morning tea; full-day cruise Nov-April departs 9am, returns 3.30pm, $68 including smorgasboard lunch; tel 03/6471 7187), has two boats and is located on the waterfront in a spacious complex, where there's a photographic display of Strahan's history. Their full-day cruise stops for an hour at Sarah Island to allow you to wander around the ruins of the prison settlement.
World Heritage Cruises
, the smaller friendlier company, also has two boats (the
Wanderer II and III
), and offers a slightly cheaper cruise, also with a one-hour guided tour of Sarah Island (departs daily 9am, returns about 3.30pm; $55; snacks and $9 buffet lunch available on board; licensed; tel 03/6471 7174,
www.worldheritagecruises.com.au
). They also offer a shorter cruise in summer (Oct-April), departing at 9am and returning about 2pm ($50). Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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Australia,
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