Tasmania (Western Region)
Strahan
Situated on Macquarie Harbour with its major industries of tourism, fishing, aquaculture, and forestry, Strahan is the only port on the West Coast. The pretty little resort town with a population of approximately 575, is a big contrast to the boom days when the port catered for the mineral fields and handled more cargo than any port in Tasmania. The Union Steamship company and the customs house are the two of the most impressive reminders of that era.

Six kilometres out of town is stunning Ocean Beach renowned for its sunsets, is pounded all year long from the swells which may travel from as far as South America. River cruises along the famous Gorden River start from Stratham and include Sarah Island, Tasmania's first penal colony, made famous in Marcus Clark's novel "For the Term of His Natural Life".

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STRAHAN is easy-going, relaxed and even progressive. The only town and port on the west coast, it sits in the huge Macquarie Harbour, site of Sarah Island, a harsh secondary convict settlement in use between 1822 and 1830, which can be visited on a Gordon River cruise. 

The entrance to Macquarie Harbour, named Hells Gates by arriving convicts, is only 80m wide. Huon pine, perfect for shipbuilding, grows abundantly in the area – logging and boatbuilding became the convicts’ trade. After 1830 the timber continued to attract loggers, but it wasn’t until 1882 that Strahan began life as a port for the nearby copper and lead fields. 

Although it was Tasmania’s third-largest port in 1900, its unreliability led to its closure by 1970 and the population dwindled to three hundred. It’s now a small fishing village for abalone, crayfish and shark, and commercial fish farming of rainbow trout and Atlantic salmon, though the main industry is definitely tourism. The basing of the Franklin Blockade campaign here in 1982 shook up the town and brought the Australian media here for two months. 

Cruises on the Gordon River had already been running before this event, but the declaration of a World Heritage Area has meant that busloads of tourists now regularly descend upon Strahan to see the river, creating a hectic atmosphere for a short time, after which the town rapidly reverts to its usual peaceful state. You would be mad to come all this way and not take a cruise; though they may seem expensive, it’s the best way to get to see the wilderness, and well worth the money.

The Town
Your first stop should be the innovative wooden and iron Strahan Visitor Centre, on The Esplanade (daily: summer 10am–8pm; winter 10am–6pm; 24hr ticket $4.50; tel 03/6471 7622 for tourist information), whose exterior design aims to echo the area’s boatbuilding and timber industries. The interior features a waterfall, and a huge glass wall providing views of the harbour. The centre sets out its exhibits in a provocative and challenging way, with the quote on the foyer wall immediately striking an ecological note. There are seven main themes: the Aborigines, convicts, logging, ecology, economy, wilderness and conflict – all making a satisfyingly radical departure from the usual displays in a local museum. If you don’t want to see the exhibition you can enter the foyer free of charge to pick up leaflets and information.

 Outside, an amphitheatre is the early evening venue for an entertaining two-man show, The Ship That Never Was, which retells – in slapstick vein, with plenty of audience participation – the true story of an 1834 convict escape from Sarah Island (daily 5.30pm plus 8.30pm performance during January; $10).

Adjacent to the visitor centre is the Strahan Woodworks, in a large, corrugated-iron shed (daily 8am–5pm), selling well-designed and crafted woodwork; you’re also welcome to roam around Morrison’s Saw Mill next door, and watch the Tasmanian timbers being initially processed. Also worth visiting is the Forestry Tasmania Office (Mon–Fri 9am–noon & 1–5pm; tel 03/6471 7176), which has leaflets describing the trees in the area, plus information about visiting the Teepookana Forest Reserve. You should also check out the amazing window display of a Huon pine log transforming itself into the bow of a boat.

The Strahan Historic Foreshore Walkway is a pleasant gravel track following the shore of the harbour around to Regatta Point, where you’ll see the defunct 1899 train station that was used by the Queenstown-based Mount Lyell Railway and Mining Company to transport ore to the port. En route you pass the People’s Park, from where you can take the rainforest walk to Hogarth Falls (40min; 2km return).

Cruising the Gordon River

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 two 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; full-day cruise Nov–April departs 9am, returns 3.30pm; shorter cruise $45 including morning tea; longer cruise $61 including smorgasboard lunch; tel 03/6471 7187), has three 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, has just one boat (the Wanderer II) and offers a cheaper cruise whose highlight is a 40-minute guided tour of Sarah Island (departs daily 9am, returns about 3.30pm; no cruises mid-July to Aug; $44; snacks and $8 buffet lunch available on board; licensed; tel 03/6471 7174).

Around Strahan
Six kilometres east of town, Ocean Beach is, at 30km, the longest beach in Tasmania. In the early 1990s several pilot whales from Antarctica were stranded here: unfortunately, attempts to rescue them were unsuccessful and their skeletons, half-buried in the sand, can still be seen. In the summer of 1998 a similar tragedy occurred: the bodies of 63 sperm are also buried in the dunes. Come at dusk to observe the marvellous sunsets and to watch – from November to February – the migratory muttonbirds roost. It’s an eleven-kilometre drive on a gravel road, south off the road to Ocean Beach, to Macquarie Heads (Hells Gates). The extensive Henty Dunes, 12km north of town on the Zeehan Road (B27), are also worth seeing; you can camp at the picnic area.

To get around, you can rent ten-speed mountain bikes at the youth hostel ($10 per half-day) and from the tourist office (1hr $10, half-day $20, full-day $30). There’s no car rental in Strahan, so if you haven’t arrived by car other land-based options include trips with South West Adventure Tours (tel 03/6471 7157): pricey 4WD tours to Macquarie Heads via Ocean Beach and Henty Sand Dunes (2hr 30min; $40); dune tours (1hr 30min; $35); sunset tours to Ocean Beach (1hr 30min; $40). Their best trip is to the ghost town of Teepookana, an old railway port, and the surrounding Huon pine forest reserve on the King River (3hr; $40). Hay’s bus service offers less expensive Teepookana tours (Dec–April 10am & 3pm; 3hr; $20; book at the tourist office) and trips to watch the sunset and the muttonbirds fly in at Ocean Beach (Nov–Feb; $5). You can go horse-riding on Ocean Beach with Strahan Trail Rides (tel 03/6471 7426).

In addition to the Gordon River cruises, there’s a wide choice of water- and air-based tours. West Coast Yacht Charters, on The Esplanade (tel 03/6471 7422 or mobile tel 0419/300 994; closed July–Sept), runs evening crayfish dinner sails on Macquarie Harbour on a 20m ketch, Stormbreaker (6–8.30pm; $50 including dinner and wine), plus morning fishing trips with all gear supplied (9am–noon; $40), or longer two-night cruises ($320); you can even stay on board the ketch for a waterborne B&B experience ($46–60). 

With Wild Rivers Jet (50min; $39; tel 03/6471 7174) you can explore the King River, which, like the Gordon, flows into Macquarie Harbour, just south of Strahan. On this tour you can assess the environmental damage done to the banks by the mining operations in Queenstown, though the rainforested gorges remain unspoilt. 

Hells Gate Wilderness Tours (tel 03/6471 7576) offer sea kayak tours on the Gordon River or half-day tours on the Henty River; they also hire sea kayaks (single $30 half-day, $40 full-day; double $40/$60) and canoes (seating 2–3 people; $10 per hr) so you can explore Macquarie Harbour by yourself.

Wilderness Air, on Strahan Wharf, runs spectacular seaplane flights over Macquarie Harbour and the wilderness area (daily from 9am; 1hr 20min; $99; bookings essential on tel 03/6471 7280), which grant you the unforgettable image of the smooth dark ribbon of the pristine Gordon River easing through dense forest. The seaplanes land at Sir John Falls Landing, further upriver than the cruise boats can reach – the highlight of the trip is a dramatic landing on the glassy calm of the Gordon River. 

Wilderness Air also has longer flights for viewing the rugged scenery around Frenchmans Cap. There are also helicopter flights with Seair Adventure Charters (tel 03/6471 7718) over Hells Gates and Macquarie Harbour ($60; 15min), and the Teepookana Forest ($105; 1hr).

Getting there & around
The place to make enquiries and bookings for Tasmanian Wilderness Travel bus services is the visitor centre. There’s a scheduled service from Launceston and Devonport via Cradle Mountain (Tues, Thurs & Sat), connecting with a Queenstown to Strahan service. A service from Strahan to Queenstown departs four times a week (Tues, Thurs, Sat & Sun), connecting with the service to Hobart via Lake St Clair. There are no ATMs in Strahan. 

The Strahan General Store (Mon–Fri 7.30am–7pm, Sat & Sun 8am–6pm) has EFTPOS facilities and is an ANZ bank agent, while at the far end of The Esplanade, the old Customs House contains the post office, which also acts as a Commonwealth Bank agent. Next door is the Parks and Wildlife Service District office (daily 8am–5pm; tel 03/6471 7122), where you can buy park passes.

If you want to shop for food, the Strahan General Store on The Esplanade houses a small supermarket selling a decent range, including fresh vegetables. However, it’s expensive, and you might do better to get supplies in Queenstown first. Strahan Fresh Seafood, also on The Esplanade, sells fresh fish, and there’s a decent bakery at the other end of the street.

Eating & Drinking
Strahan’s best restaurant is the dining room of the stylish Franklin Manor, across from the centre of town on The Esplanade (tel 03/6471 7311). The less expensive and less formal Hamers Hotel, also on The Esplanade, is the focus of the town’s social life and has a fine bistro which serves up a varied selection of seafood, and is always a lively place for a drink. The hotel also runs the excellent eat-in bakery a couple of doors away, and the adjoining Pizza and Pasta Café (open daily until 9.30pm); their The Fish Café next door dishes up affordable eat-in fish and chips. There are a couple of good alternatives: Strahan Fresh Seafood at the other end of The Esplanade (daily 8am–8pm) serves good takeaway or eat-in fish and chips, fish burgers, hamburgers, and toasted sandwiches; Strahan Central Café, just off The Esplanade on Harold Street, is young, city-style and funky, with waterviews and an outdoor deck and pricey but tasty contemporary café favourites. The coffee is excellent – but costs more than you’d pay in the big city.

Accommodation
If you’ve got your own transport to get there, you can camp for free at Ocean Beach and Henty Dunes; there are no facilities, but free hot showers can be had in town in the toilet block opposite the post office. Accommodation is expensive and gets booked up in the summer; to be safe, book ahead or bring a tent – otherwise you might have to head back to Zeehan or Queenstown. Hamers Hotel has virtually overtaken the town – with pub and motel accommodation and several restaurants along The Esplanade, and a rather impersonal reception/booking office in a corner building. Another accommodation booking agency is run by Strahan Central (tel 03/6471 7612) who book for the YHA and several B&Bs. The Strahan Visitor Centre has a free accommodation hotline – you call and book a room yourself from the list provided.
  • Franklin Manor Lodge, The Esplanade. Sedate and elegant two-storey weatherboard B&B, surrounded by trees and flowers. The interior is attractively decorated and lovingly maintained; classical music plays in the guest lounge, always filled with fresh flowers, and there’s a classy restaurant.
  • Gordon Gateway Chalet, Grining St, Regatta Point. Peaceful harbourfront spot looking across to the town and its fishing boats. Spacious rooms with kitchenettes.
  • Hamers Hotel, The Esplanade. A renovated 1930s hotel with clean, modern rooms with washbasins, colour TV and sea views; light breakfast included. Also stylish modern motel units attached to the ground floor of the pub. The café-style lounge bar serves seafood and good salads, and there’s also a public bar.
  • Harbour Views, 1 Charles St, 1km northeast of the post office . A more affordable B&B.
  • Kitty’s Place, Innes St, north of the post office. Five brand-new, centrally located holiday units. Three sleeping up to six people, two sleeping up to four.
  • The Piners Loft, Harrison St, across the harbour from the city centre. Unique accommodation in a two-storey building made from recycled Tasmanian woods; poles of King Billy pine and other warm woods rise up through the split level interior.
  • Strahan Village Cottages, Jolly St. A motel complex on a hill overlooking the town, with some wheelchair-accessible units; the restaurant has sea views.
  • Strahan Wilderness Lodge & Bayview Cottages, Ocean Beach Rd. The best-value place in Strahan, set in spacious grounds crisscrossed by walking tracks, just out of town.