Round The World and other travels
A frequent flyer's collection of trip diaries
This is: Tasmanian Devils (2010)
World Heritage Spectacular
With a boat to catch, I made sure that I was up with my alarm. Breakfast was rather more rudimentary than we had become accustomed to, as provisions were not included in the rate, but it occurred to me that I was having what I normally eat at home before setting off for work. I slowly set off downhill while Bruce made a short diversion to the supermarket to pick up another coffee. We boarded in good time and took our seats in the front row of the premium upper-deck cabin.
Strahan - Hell's Gates - Sarah Island
The Eagle left pretty much on time at
0930 and set off in the direction of Hell's Gates, the somewhat
fanciful name given to the harbour entrance. It's actually one of
the most difficult harbour entrances in the world to negotiate,
being the narrowest of channels between Cape Sorrell and the
appropriately named Entrance Island. Even a powerful, modern
catamaran can only make the passage on a few suitably calm days each year and this
was one of them! Not for the last time, as it would transpire, our
luck was in. We were indeed fortunate in being able to make a brief
foray out into the Southern Ocean, and were soon feeling the effects
of the so-called Roaring Forties, the band of exceptionally windy
conditions found between latitudes 40 to 50 degrees south. After
riding a few waves, it was something of a relief for most passengers
when we made an about-turn and passed once more into the pleasant
and calm conditions of Macquarie Harbour. The rain that had been
threatening was now falling, but it was to be a short-lived affair.
We then made a brief pause for some up-close observation of feeding time at one of the fish farms that operates in the harbour, before continuing on our way towards Sarah Island.
Sarah Island
Just as in Britain, the weather on Tasmania's west coast can be notoriously changeable. Often this is a negative, but sometimes it can work in one's favour, to glorious effect, and this is what happened as we approached Sarah Island. The previous cloud cover and its attendant rain just melted away, leaving clear blue skies and reasonably warm Autumn sunshine - marvellous! We were given an entertaining tour of the former penal settlement surrounded by stunning natural beauty which, in days gone by, gained a reputation as one of the harshest regimes anywhere. The commentary was expertly delivered by a local actor, who managed to keep the group interested throughout the visit.
Gordon River and return to Strahan
As we re-boarded the Eagle, I had the slightly bizarre thought that her livery gave her something of the appearance of an Edinburgh bus! However this particular conveyance was somewhat smoother and more luxurious, and as I was soon to find out, offered a fine selection of food and refreshments! And indeed, lunch was the next order of business and, I should add, it was ever so well organised, with passengers invited to go to the buffet in small groups. As the crew put it, what's the point of standing in a queue when there's more than enough for everyone and when the time would be better spent enjoying the views?
As we ate our fill of the delicious buffet offerings, we made our way towards our next objective, slowing down as we entered the Gordon River. This area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a fact that obviously gave rise to the name of our cruise company. But as the guide explained, it's not just any old World Heritage Site. Apparently there are ten criteria for gaining UNESCO recognition, only one of which needs to be satisfied to win the classification. However the Gordon River is one of only two sites in the world to satisfy seven out of the ten criteria. Why so special? Well, it's one of the most unspoiled and uninhabited wildernesses on earth, covered in a temperate rainforest of rare trees, many of which are literally thousands of years old. The river itself is remarkable in two respects. First, the water is pure and drinkable, but whether you'd want to is another question, as it has the colour of tea due to tannins absorbed from button grass. Secondly, it tends to be covered with a film of eucalyptus oil, leading to the most spectacular reflections, which were at their best on the day of our visit.
There was a brief pause at a little pier to allow us to experience the rainforest via a short boardwalk round trip. After that, we made our way back to Strahan in the rapidly fading daylight.
Strahan walk
A short walk through the village before heading uphill back to the cottage gave us the opportunity to reflect on what a wonderfully enjoyable day out it had been. Both of us, we discovered, had secretly harboured the fear that it would be simply too long - how could they possibly fill six hours afloat? In the event, however, our interest had been held by a very well thought-out programme. Then there were some incredible strokes of luck, especially remembering that we were on the cusp of winter. First, we had been able to pass through Hell's Gates. Secondly, the threatening skies only managed to produce ten minutes' worth of rain, before clearing up to allow our visit to Sarah Island to be bathed in sunshine. And finally, the famous Gordon River reflections had, according to the crew, been at their very best. We felt well satisfied that it had been an enjoyable day and worth every penny of the fare charged.
Back at the ranch, Bruce donned his imaginary chef's hat for the last time and whipped up a superb Singapore-style chicken curry. Digging into my DVD collection again, we then watched Helen Mirren's astonishing performance in The Queen. It was a most enjoyable end to a superb day, surely the highlight of our visit to Tasmania.