Hot and humid are not the words I was expecting to use to describe the weather in Tasmania, even at the height of summer. We arrive in Strahan on the west coast just in time for the Australia Day long weekend and it’s very warm. The weekend treats us to consecutive days of 30+ temperatures which reminds us of home.

We make camp on the shore of Macquarie Harbour and are treated to a spectacular sunset on our first evening. The harbour is massive and supports a number of businesses from logging to abalone catching to salmon farming but it has managed to maintain its serenity all the same.

The thing you notice about this part of Tasmania is the layering of the mountain ranges. It seems that in any direction there is range after range building forward to where you are standing. They are both rugged and beautiful at the same time. If you are an avid bush walker, this could just be the place for you to settle. So many tracks and options it would take many years to cover them all.

 

We spend our days driving through the many ranges from Strahan to Queenstown to Zeehan and many places in between. The number of lookouts and vantage points is enormous and, to a degree, over whelming. There are rivers to cross via swinging cable bridges, waterfalls to see, views to take in and bush walks to enjoy. Even the roads lead you over bridges that cross stunning lakes with mountain vistas in the background. On more than one occasion the Jeep wandered of the road while its driver was looking at the view.

On a side note, twenty years ago we visited Queenstown and were stunned to see the effects that mining had made on the landscape. It looked like a desolate lunar landscape, void of any living vegetation. Twenty years on the mining is still very apparent in the town, as its right in the heart of it, but the landscape around the area has had time to rejuvenate. Its nowhere near as stark and actually has a beauty about it. Maybe, in twenty years time, the recovery of the area will be well advanced.

On the weekend we spoil ourselves with a trip on the Gordon River Wilderness Tour which is a six hour relaxing ride around Macquarie Harbour taking in Devils Gates which is the channel at the mouth of the harbour, the light house at Cape Sorell just outside the heads, the salmon farms inside the harbour, Sarah Island which is an old convict settlement and then a cruise up the Gordon River. Its well worth the price of the ticket as its both entertaining and informative, plus has a well catered lunch that includes some of the local salmon.

We end up spending four days in the area which is nowhere near enough to see everything, but provides us with an appreciation for the region. It would be great to call back hear in the middle of winter to see the mountains covered in layers of snow and ice. Something to plan for in the future…