FRIDAY 3 - SATURDAY 4.2.2012: We arrived (uneventfully), at Strahan and took up residence at the local 
Golf Club - $7.00 a day! We knew of the cruises, but en route had been advised to book with World Heritage Cruises. The Grining family first ferried passengers in 1896 and their "red boat" is well known. Had a great day - perfect weather, beautiful buffet lunch and wonderful scenery. We cruised from Macquarie Harbour through Hells Gates - a notoriously shallow and dangerous channel entrance to the harbour. The name of the channel relates to the original convict's claim that it was their point of 'entrance to Hell'.
Golf Club - $7.00 a day! We knew of the cruises, but en route had been advised to book with World Heritage Cruises. The Grining family first ferried passengers in 1896 and their "red boat" is well known. Had a great day - perfect weather, beautiful buffet lunch and wonderful scenery. We cruised from Macquarie Harbour through Hells Gates - a notoriously shallow and dangerous channel entrance to the harbour. The name of the channel relates to the original convict's claim that it was their point of 'entrance to Hell'.  |
| HELLS GATE |
Viewed the high-tech aquaculture farms where hundreds of thousands of Tasmania's famous Atlantic Salmon and Ocean Trout are farmed. First stop a guided tour of Sarah Island. Named in 1815 by James Kelly after Sarah Birch, wife of the doctor who financed his expedition.
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| AQUACULTURE FARMS |
It operated as a penal settlement from 1822-33, but became too costly to continue and the convicts were transported to Port Arthur. Sarah Island convicts turned a hell on earth into one of the largest ship building yards in Australia.
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| THE GAOL 1.7M FLOOR TO CEILING |
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| THE BAKEHOUSE & OUR GUIDE KIAH |
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| PENITENTIARY |
We crept down the Gordon River and the timeless World Heritage Wilderness. Exited at the Heritage Landing for a walk in the rainforest - we keep reflecting on how sad it is that our rainforests are so rare that people have to be taken to view the remaining treasures.
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| GORDON RIVER |
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| 6,000 YEAR OLD HUON PINE - FALLEN, BUT NEW TREES EMERGING FROM TRUNK |
Finished with a visit to the Huon Pine Sawmill - the Morrisons have several generations of men working on the banks of the Gordon River and its tributaries harvesting the trees with axe and crosscut saw, and moving them into the rivers using just block and tackle, and lots of muscle. There are just three sawmills in the world with a license to cut Huon pine sawlog, and they expect the supplies of salvaged, dead timber, carefully husbanded and managed with skill and respect, to last at least two more human generations.
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VIEW FROM SARAH ISLAND - CONVICTS HAVE THE NICEST VISTAS! |
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| HUON PINE SAWMILL |
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