We arrived at Strahan after travelling down from Cradle Mountain late on Sunday, came through Roseberry and briefly Queenstown. It was a bit rainy but otherwise ok. Got the van set up along with the annex and settled in for the night. About 9pm a great wind blew up and took out the annex, again no damage, We dropped the Van pop top and rolled up the annex and then crawled into bed looking forward to the new day. Bit of wind and rain during the night.

Monday took us on the boat cruise for most of the day around Macquarie Harbour and up the Gordon River. It was an overcast day with splashes of sunshine and just the odd shower of rain. First call was at the entrance to Macquarie Harbour. I don’t have the statistics to hand but the Harbour is many times larger than Sydney Harbour with a very narrow and treacherous entrance, called Hell’s Gate.  The name originates from convict days when transportation brought convicts to Sarah Island, within the Harbour, through the narrow opening. ‘Hell’ being Sarah Island. We later spent some time wandering around Sarah Island learning something of its past.  Further up the Gordon river we disembarked and strolled along a board walk through the rain forest, sighting a number of Huon Pine specimens.

Monday night was relatively calm weather wise. Tuesday however resumed the rain and wind pattern and we took in a trip to Queenstown to check out the old copper mining town. Queenstown has been famous or infamous for its moonscape appearance, caused by a number of factors including sulphur fumes from copper smelting in the early and mid  1900s, timber logging to fuel the smelters, fires and general erosion. Today the landscape seems to be slowly recovering with trees and grasses being established on the slopes.

Back in Strahan that night we had further wind and rain.

Today, Wednesday, more rain and wind but after a bit if a lull off we set for Corinna about 80k north of Strahan on the Pieman River, which is the southern boundary of the Tarkine wilderness area. Plenty of rain along the way. But when we arrived it started to clear and we had an interesting time in this former logging town, which is now an eco resort type place, sustainable living lifestyle etc. The Pieman was in flood and it was an interesting ride across on the 2 car ferry. Logs and debris floating down the river at a great pace.

Returning to Strahan we were greeted by more wind and rain. The local grog shop and café was sandbagged up against a great big pool of water. It is now about 9pm and the wind and rain has stopped, a few stars in the sky. Maybe it is clearing up. We leave tomorrow after being here for 4 nights to go north to the Stanley region on the north-east coast for a few days.

Hell’s Gates (so named by the convicts) the narrow entrance to Macquarie Harbour at Strahan

Remains of the convict gaol 0n Sarah Island in Macquarie Harbour dating to 1820s

Pine cones on the Huon pine, these trees grow I millimetre (girth) a year.

The old Mt Lyell open cut pit at Queenstown

Strahan rainbow

Driftwood at Macquarie Heads Strahan