Tag: My Tasmanian Backyard

IT’S hard to believe Strahan’s Macquarie Harbour is six times larger than Sydney Harbour. In Sydney you don’t get to experience the narrow and treacherous Hell’s Gates, see the salmon farms which supply to some of the world’s top restaurants or be entertained by real life stories of cannibalism while on notorious Sarah Island.  Oh yes, believe it.

However, after two days in Strahan and riding the West Coast Wilderness Railway, our final day was discovering all this aboard Gordon River Cruises.

It’s been a while since I’ve done the cruise. It all takes place onboard the Lady Jane Franklin II, which is nothing short of pure class. And this is the cattle class,

not the premium section.

If she was a real lady, she’d be wearing Prada and having her hair set weekly (do ladies still have their hair set?).

We scored comfy seats at the front of the vessel – near the toy box. Make a note: take children.

I don’t know how many people with purple rinses told Princess Ella to: “look out, you have a snake around your neck’’. They thought it was funny. Ella thought it was funny. Really, what else matters?

Without exaggeration, the pristine World Heritage area on the world-famous Gordon River is breathtaking and was even more so on the stunning day we headed out (it’s world famous because a fight to save the river in the ‘80s attracted national attention).

Although, a dead whale wasn’t so pleasant. Poor fella.

When we reached the salmon farms, Ella’s main point of question was whether they had pigs at the farm. Hmm, not that sort of farm, darling.

We then came in to moor at the feared penal colony Sarah Island – the highlight of the trip. However, it’s also where we chose to end our trip, because of mechanical problems with the boat. Of all the days.

We decided not to continue on with the other boat that was offered for a few reasons: the Bloke in The Shed and I had done it before (actually, I’ve done it twice – that’s how much I enjoyed it) and the boat we were being transferred to already had a full load (we weren’t keen on battling the girls on a crowed boat).

But please, don’t be put off by our decision. I highly recommend doing the entire tour. You would not want to miss witnessing the ruins from the old penal buildings. Nor hearing about how the convicts built incredible boats from Huon pine. And don’t miss the gory tale of cannibalism by one very desperate convict. This is not your average history tour. To top it all off, there’s a chef prepared buffet lunch.

The kids will love wandering around the island and it’s a good way to get them to be good – if you’re naughty, this is where we’ll send you. Maybe. As far as family experiences go, this one is hard to pass up. The staff onboard were so accommodating, especially with the girls. The toys are plentiful. Space is abundant. And the penal settlement is unlike what you’re likely to have seen before. Truly sensational.

How to travel: Cruise in Comfort with two-levels of seating and buffet lunch; or Captain’s Premier Upper Deck, with leather seats, Tasmanian produce and beverages and private deck.

Duration: 5.5 hours. Leaves at 8.30am and, in peak season, 2.30pm.

Christmas Day: 10.30am to 4.30pm

Children: Aged 3-14 are entitled to child fares. Aged 2 and under travel free. Child fares are not available on Captain’s Premier Upper Deck, but children and infants may travel on an adult fare. See the website for more details.

Cost: Between $85 and $210, depending on the time of year and travel class.

More information: Visit Pure Tasmania

Read more from the My Tasmanian Backyard series, along with our stay in Strahan Village.

DISCLAIMER: We received Cruise in Comfort tickets to board the Gordon River Cruises, thanks to Pure Tasmania. All opinions expressed are purely my own.

EVERY so often we pull out our wedding video from the beautiful fishing town of Strahan on Tasmania’s West Coast. Each time Princess Ella asks: “Can we go to the wedding, Mum?’’ We’ve long promised her we’d take her to Strahan Village to see the View 42 Restaurant with the big balcony where we said “I do’’, the West Coast Wilderness Railway where we had photos taken and the harbour, featuring Gordon River Cruises, that was our spectacular backdrop.

Last week, we finally had the chance to do that, thanks to the kind people at Pure Tasmania. This is the first in three posts – this post on Strahan Village, the second on the West Coast Wilderness Railway and the third on Gordon River Cruises.

Here’s our three-day itinerary:

DAY ONE:

Heading from Devonport for the 2.5-hour drive, we decided to stop off at Rosebery to allow the princesses a chance to stretch their legs, get a bite to eat at the bakery and ward off any car sickness that might approach later. Yes, this is one windy road.

While we didn’t get the honeymoon suite above reception, which we shared with a rather large Santa Claus, we were put up in a quaint two-bedroom cottage with plenty of space, gorgeous Tasmanian products and a stunning view of the harbour. To be honest, there was less romance this time anyway. There are plenty of different accommodation options under the Strahan Village banner, so it’s hard not to find something to suit on the hilltop or down near the wharf where we were.

Once the car was unloaded, we walked along the wharf, chatting to the fishermen, watching people come in off the cruises and taking in Morrison’s Huon Pine Sawmill and Strahan Woodworks. The smell of Huon pine is sublime.

We saw this little beauty:

Then saw the price.

It’s fair to say Ella won’t be getting one of those for Christmas. Not unless we run into quite a bit of this.

Yes, that’s made of wood too. At 3pm each day, you can then watch a breaking down saw in action.

On the way back to the cottage, we ducked into the fudge shop and stocked up on handmade fudge – Rocky Road and Honey and Macadamia. Nom nom.

We finished the day eating at the popular Hamers Hotel, which offers up plenty of what Strahan is famous for – seafood.

DAY TWO:

We started the day with a full buffet breakfast – I’m talking eggs, bacon and hash browns – at View 42 Restaurant. I’m not afraid to admit there was a slight tear shed, thinking back to the moment we got married there and now, nine years later, sitting with two little girls in the same spot.

To shake the soppiness out of me, we took a bumpy drive to Ocean Beach, where you can not only see shearwater, but is notorious for whale strandings. I witnessed two during my journalism career and can tell you, standing over a massive helpless whale pouring water over it in the hope it might just stay alive is a pretty chilling experience.

By mid morning we were ready to board the now legendary West Coast Wilderness Railway – the trip Ella had been so keen to take.

Admittedly, The Bloke in The Shed was dubious about taking two small children on a five-hour trip on a train to the mining town of Queenstown. However, his worries were soon eased. A pram was provided to allow one-year-old Li’l Holly to sleep and there was plenty of interesting stops along the way to entertain four-year-old Princess Ella. The honey stop was probably her favourite – she went back for seconds.

We ended the day with a picnic dinner in front of our cottage, with food from the next door bakery. It was also a nice chance for the girls to experience the friendliness of the locals, who each had a comment as they walked past.

That night, I sent the Bloke in the Shed out to capture this shot.

Magic.

DAY THREE:

We woke on our final day, ready for our Gordon River Cruise on the Lady Jane Franklin II, to a heavy mist.

It was pretty eerie, especially knowing the cruise is based around former penal settlement Sarah Island. One of the most famous stories is about cannibal convict Alexander Pearce. It’s actually recently been made into a movie called Van Diemen’s Land. Some who have watched it are said to have vomited. Yes, gruesome stuff.

The cruise itself was pretty spectacular and we were well looked after with prime seating at the front and a big toy box for the girls. This was class all the way and we were in the cattle class section – not the premium.

We viewed working fish farms, where Ella’s main question was whether they had pigs at the farm. Hmm, not that sort of farm, darling.

Finally, we hit the road for home. Our only regret was not stopping at Rosebery for a break, with Ella showing us the contents of her stomach at about Highclere.

We made it to Burnie and stopped off at Hellyer Road Whiskey Distillery for something to eat. Julian and I shared a platter.

Eyes off, Holly. But I’ll share more about that another day – the story, not the food.

In the meantime, we’re all in need of a bit of a holiday after that adventure.  Yes, hard to imagine you can do all this in one small fishing village. The whole experience isn’t cheap, but well worth every penny. If you’re looking for a spectacular setting with an “adventure’’ edge for your next holiday, I highly recommend this history-rich, stunning fishing village.

What do you look for in a holiday? Are you a train buff or boat fanatic? Is history your thing?

This is part of the My Tasmanian Backyard series.

DISCLAIMER: We were provided with accommodation, meals, a trip on the West Coast Wilderness Railway and Gordon River Cruises as part of the Pure Tasmanian Visiting Journalists Program. All opinions expressed are our own.