Rather than driving, Day 2 was spent in taking a boat trip from Strahan, partly out into the Indian Ocean (next stop south America) and partly back inland up the Gordon river. Strahan sits about halfway down Tasmania on the west coast. It was originally developed as a port of access for the mining settlements in the area and is the base for boat trips to Sarah Island, the notorious penal settlement that gained a reputation as the harshest penal settlement in the Australian colonies for convicts that had re-offended (1822-1833).

The trip started early at 8.30 with a sailing from Strahan out towards the open sea, only made possible with the creation of a submerged rock wall (created by convicts) in 1897/98 which directed the tide to naturally dredge the channel. Returning back towards Strahan, the boat then took a scenic tour up the Gordon River, through the Franklin Gordon Wild Rivers National Park, part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area of ancient rainforest. This part of the trip included a stop and boardwalk through the forest allowing a close-up view of the dense and impenetrable vegetation.

After a pleasant lunch aboard, the second stop was back to Sarah Island with a guided tour of the former penal colony. Horrendous stories of life (and beatings) on the island were heard followed by an unusual transformation to shipyard, given the abundance of local huon wood.

Returning to Strahan, the remainder of the afternoon was spent with a walk to the local Hogarth Falls: not especially dramatic in terms of height or water volume but an interesting 20 minute walk through the local rainforest with plenty of tree ferns.

Images from the cruise and locality in and around Strahan can be found here.

Images from Strahan itself can be seen here.