Blogs from Strahan, Tasmania, Australia, Oceania

It blew a gale last night, bit of damage around the town but it looks like it blew itself out. The van certainly shook all night long. We had to be up and ready for the Gordon River Cruise. Fantastic ship, great crew and running commentary and we were well looked after. We saw the Sarah Island Penal Colony and did the journey out to Hells Gates at the mouth of the Gordon River. Great trip. Once we got back we had to hit the road straight away to make some miles, but first I wanted to go to Ocean Beach Road just outside of Strahan. Like Arthur River the ocean just roars in from the west all the way from Argentina. The afternoon turned gloomy again and it made Queenstown look very desolate and almost ... read more

We had a really fabulous Christmas break travelling over to the West Coast. We spent our days walking, watching the sunset, and visiting Hydro dams. Very peaceful and relaxing. It's a special place, the West Coast of Tasmania and the people are a special group too; very resilient and capable. Of course, it cops a fair amount of criticism for the weather (lots of rain) but when you get a patch of good weather, there is hardly a place where you would prefer to be. Our first night was a bush camp near Derwent Bridge. From there, we drove ever closer to Queenstown, but this time with a difference. Previously, it has always been a rush getting from one place to another. This time was different - no rush. So we stopped and did all the ... read more

The people of Tasmania face an interesting and somewhat difficult situation, and it affects politics in parliament and talk over a beer at the local. Much of Tasmania is locked up against future development, particularly forestry. The result is that once busy timber milling and or wood chipping plants and their support towns have died. One small, remote coastal town, Strahan, seems to have survived rather than succumbed. The population there is only half what it was in its heyday, but is a living museum supporting 21st century enterprise. It seems odd that we talked to locals who have never ventured outside the Strahan, Zeehan and Queenstown region. One man said he avoids going to the bigger centres (Hobart or Launceston) because he finds the four lane roads too difficult to navigate. It is like they ... read more

Thursday 5th March 2014. Heritage Cruise of MacQuarie Harbour & Gordon River, Strahan, Tasmania, Australia We had a cup of tea in our cabin and walked down to the jetty in Strahan. The boat was called The Eagle. We collected our boarding passes and went straight to our allocated seats inside the lower cabin. The Eagle is a fast, quiet, spacious and environmentally designed cruise ship for the Gordon River. The hull and engine design ensure minimal impact to the pristine wilderness, whilst the interior features create the best possible experience for passengers. There were interpretive facilities including maps, photographs and guidebooks and plenty of deck space to enjoy the freshest air. Once we had set off we managed to bag a couple of prime seats at the back out of the wind. We sailed off ... read more

Strahan photos... read more