Strahan

We're only about 180 miles from Hobart but we're now on the West Coast of Tasmania in the small town of Strahan...pronounced Straw with an n at the end. Mountains and wilderness here. Strahan is the largest town in the area about the size of Terra Alta. It is the starting point for the Gordon River cruises and the hikes into the rainforest. And that is why we are here!

Our 6 hour Gordon River cruise was fantastic. I got to drive the bot nd that was so exciting!

First we headed toward Hell's Gate where the Southern Ocean meets Gordon River. Hell's Gate was named by the Convicts headed to Sarah Island. Two Lighthouses guard the opening and guide boats into the river

We stopped at Sarah Island for a tour of the ruins of the prison that sat on this island for years. Convicts logged the Huron pines and then built tall ships for companies around the world...all in horrendous conditions. Eventually they smartened up and built a tall ship for themselves and escaped the island. It is a beautiful little island to visit with a great story!

Our next stop was the rainforest with time for a guided hike. I've hiked through several rainforests in Australia and this one is different. The trees have small leaves to allow sunlight to shine through to the moss covered floor. There is no canopy and there are very few birds or other wildlife that we cold see. But we did see plenty of moss covered tress and forest floor, lots of ferns and tiny mushrooms.



Our next stop is Cradle Mountain just a few hours away.