Strahan and around

Strahan was our next port of call after Cradle - it is the only town and port on the west coast and sits in the huge Macquarie Harbour (over 6 times the size of Sydney's harbour) and site of Sarah Island, a harsh secondary convict settlement in use between 1822 and 1830.

Once we had off loaded our luggage we went out to explore the local area and made our way to Hogarth Falls - a lovely rainforest walk which culminates at the Falls which were quite spectacular, especially as there had been quite a bit of rain over the past few days.

We spent the next day cruising the Gordon River - we left Strahan on the "Lady Jane Franklin II", a beautifully appointed vessel. After leaving Strahan we crossed Macquarie Harbour to explore Hell's Gates, where the harbour meets the ocean. A lonely lighthouse guards the channel - to the north, the broad sands of Ocean Beach stretch away for kilometres into the distance.

We glided back across the harbour to the mouth of the Gordon River, our cruising speed dropped as the vessel is purpose-built to create a low wake, so the riverside environment remains pristine. We moved quietly upstream, passing dense rainforest, unchanged for thousands of years. Ancient trees were perfectly mirrored in the Gordon River's dark waters, stained amber by buttongrass tannins, but apparently pure and pristine to taste.

From the jetty at Heritage Landing, we followed a boardwalk which threads its way into the largest tract of temperate rainforest surviving anywhere on Earth.

Our next stop was Sarah Island. It was here convicts were confined in harsh conditions in the1820s, before the establishment of Port Arthur. We walked ashore and saw the ruins of the settlement.

We then boarded again for the return trip to Strahan - it was an unforgettable cruise.