I woke up the next day and drove out of the campground with no one being the wiser. The perks about going to Tasmania in the winter is 1. It’s beautiful, probably even more so than the summer. 2. There are considerably fewer tourists and visitors around; meaning the roads are less busy, there’s no one in the campgrounds (allowing me to sneak in undiscovered), and there are a lot fewer people on tours- giving them a much more relaxed vibe. My original plan in Strahan was to arrive yesterday afternoon and then go to an island in Macquarie Harbor to watch the penguins come in at sunset, much like what I did at Phillip’s Island. However, while I was in Melbourne, the company called me up and told me that they were canceling that trip. In return, they offered me a tour the next day of the whole harbor and first-class experience. I said yes, so at 8 am, I boarded the big ship in the harbor of Strahan. It’s an extremely tiny village of only 600, so the only thing there really is just the harbor area. When I boarded, I was shown to my recliner seat on the upper deck. The first-class experience included a private deck, nice seats, complimentary snacks such as smoked salmon and Tasmanian cheese platters as well as an unlimited alcoholic and soft drinks. It was classy AF and I was pampered. The trip itself was 5 hours from 8:30-2.
From Strahan, we sailed over to Hell’s Gates. Along the way we passed by bonnet Island, where the penguins amass. From there, we went to the Gates, which are the entrance to Macquarie Harbor. The entrance is only 18 meters across. Afflicted by the Roaring 40s, the entrance often encounters massive waves 13 meters tall and up. There is no landmass between South America and Tasmania, so the waves become incredibly powerful. Before modern engineering and sea breaks were built, the are was extremely treacherous for ships. The entrance to the harbor also gets its name from its convict past. The brutal convict settlement of Sarah Island was aptly named hell, and to get there one must pass through Hell’s Gates.
From the entrance of the harbor, we casually made our way across the harbor and past fisheries, Sarah Island, and Grommet Rock and towards the Gordon River. I want to note how dark and beautiful the water was. It’s a deep, deep blue- almost black- or ‘wine-dark” as the Greeks would probably call it, because of the sediments in the water. Combined with the beautiful and sunny day, the water was so glossy and reflective. We eventually made it to the Gordon River, which was absolutely stunning. The river is surrounded by temperate rainforests and massive Huron pines. After a while of sailing through the river, we landed for a short and easy walk through the forest at a place called Heritage Landing. Afterward, we had lunch and made out way back to the harbor. Along the way, we also passed by jetties along the banks. During the convict era, convicts had to sail upriver to log the Huon Pine, a perfect wood for shipbuilding due to its rot-resistant attributes. The industry soon after passed from convicts to piners. Today, the only Huon Pine that can be logged is through scavenging and requires a permit. After we had a buffet lunch and enjoyed many free drinks, we arrived at Sarah Island. The island today is much different than the island was during penal times. For starters, the island was once covered in trees. During the convict era, all the trees were cut down. A huge mistake considering the Roaring 40’s winds. The settlement was known as one of the harshest penal settlements in Australia. Isolated by the wilderness, convicts faced hard labor, whipping, and experimentation with solitary isolation as forms of punishment. Many attempted to escape, but very few succeeded. One of them that did was Alexander Pearce. He escaped twice from the island and in his attempts to cross the Great Western Tiers, he murdered and ate his companions to survive. Nevertheless, the conditions were so bad that convicts risked exposure and the harsh conditions of the area to reach freedom. Today, all that is left of the island is the ruins of an old settlement. After visiting the island we made our way to Strahan to finish the cruise. It was an awesome experience- 5 stars.
After disembarking, I made the 2-hour drive up to Cradle Mountain. It gets too cold at night there to camp out, so I got a room. Originally, I had the room to myself. but two others came in to share with me. I was a little bummed but kept to my books and journals. The other people wanted to talk but I politely shut them out. So most of the night, I was able to remain alone.