When you visit Strahan, cruises along the Gordon River into the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park are a must do. The natural beauty of this world heritage area, its Huon Pine logging history and the environmental protests that took place here are all part of what makes Strahan such a fascinating place to visit.
If you haven’t been to Strahan before, there are two Strahan cruise tour providers to choose from. No matter which of the Strahan Cruises you end up on, you will see essentially the same attractions. There are only minor differences between the two which we compare below. In the end, both cruises will give you a fantastic Tasmanian wilderness experience.
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What do you see?
Both Strahan River cruises go to the same attractions, they just do them in a different order. Here are the sites you will see on both tours:
Strahan River Cruise – Day Tours
- Morning World Heritage Cruise – Visit Hell’s Gate, Sarah Island Penal Settlement & Gordon River Wilderness + Lunch
- Gorden River Wilderness Cruise – Visit Hell’s Gate, Sarah Island Penal Settlement & Gordon River Wilderness + Lunch
Read More: Explore the Village of Strahan
Hell’s Gate
In contrast to the black glassy water in the Gordon River, the ride to and through Hell’s Gate at the entrance to Macquarie Harbour can be a bit Rock and Roll – it’s great fun! You cruise past Bonnet Island, home to little penguins, then Entrance Island with its lighthouse. Next, weather permitting, you squeeze through the narrow entrance to the harbour.
Even on a good day there is a bit of a swell here, but don’t worry, it is a quick experience so seasickness shouldn’t be a problem. As you look at the narrow entrance you can only marvel at how treacherous the journey into the Macquarie Harbour must have been in years gone by. If the conditions are too awful you won’t go through Hell’s Gate, but you’ll still get a good view of the lighthouse.
Sarah Island
You spend about 45 minutes on Sarah Island and admittedly, we weren’t all that fussed about the idea of convict history tour. But, the stop here and the stories of life on the island and how it ended up being a major ship building site was a highlight of the cruise for us. You get the option of following a group tour around or walking around the little island and its ruins yourself. It is worth doing the group tour – the guides are amazing.
The story of the convict settlement on Sarah Island is fascinating and is brought to life by the guides who really put on a show. It wasn’t surprising to learn that some of the guides also appear in the Ship That Never Was play which you can see in Strahan. The play continues the amazing story of the island and the escape of the last few convicts that were due to be sent to Port Arthur.
Fish Farms
As you cruise through the pristine water of Macquarie Harbour, it isn’t surprising that aquaculture is a big thing here. On both tours, at Liberty Point, you get up close to the massive pens that hold thousands of salmon and trout. The boats ease right up to the pens so you get a great view of them and can really appreciate their size. If you’re lucky you might see the fish being fed.
Gordon River
This is why most people go on a cruise from Strahan – the trip up the magnificent Gordon River. The staggered schedule of the two Strahan Cruises means you won’t have those beautiful glassy reflections spoilt by the waves from another boat. You have the river to yourself so you can relax and take in the views of the forest. The boats cruise at low speed which minimises the waves and preserves the stillness of the water. Both boats have commentaries and guides that move around the boat pointing out different trees – not the least of which are the Huon Pines. As you cruise along you hear stories of the old ‘piners’ that went deep into the forest to log the Huon Pine.
Although the idea of knocking a tree down here is now unthinkable, you can still appreciate the hardships and determination the loggers had. Today, even though no Huon Pine is taken from the forest, wood is still collected as old trees wash down the river into Macquarie Harbour. The oil in the wood waterproofs the big grey logs and keeps the timber in perfect condition as it makes its way down the river.
Heritage Landing
As you cruise along the river, all we could think about was how good it would be to get off the boat and have a look around. Heritage Landing is an opportunity to do just that. The boats moor at a landing where you go on a guided tour around a boardwalk loop through the forest. It is a great chance to see and smell the forest up close. As well as the guides, there is plenty of signage explaining the biology of the area. This is a short accessible walk and a great chance to see the forest and Huon Pines up close.
Read More: More Walks + Things to do in Strahan
Strahan Cruises – 2 Options
World Heritage Cruises and Gordon River Cruises both offer river tours and they both go to the attractions mentioned above. These are popular tours and when we visited Strahan, had you not booked in advance, you might have had trouble getting a ticket – so it is worth booking ahead for one of the cruises if you can.
Between us and some friends, we have been on both cruises and we really can’t say enough about the service, friendliness and attention you get on both tours. From the guides to commentaries and videos, you won’t be short of information. Our friends splurged on the Gordon River Cruise Premier Deck (see below) and said it was worth every cent, they felt like VIPs!
Both cruises depart from the docks near the West Coast Visitor Information Centre. Here are a couple of the small differences between the two offerings.
Strahan Cruise Day Tours
- Morning World Heritage Cruise – Visit Hell’s Gate, Sarah Island Penal Settlement & Gordon River Wilderness + Lunch
- Gorden River Wilderness Cruise – Visit Hell’s Gate, Sarah Island Penal Settlement & Gordon River Wilderness + Lunch
World Heritage Cruises
This is the cruise we went on aboard the twin hulled cruiser the Harbour Master – but it is better known as The Big Red Boat. The World Heritage Cruise departs at 9.00am and returns around 3.00pm. On this cruise you’ll head straight out to Hells Gate, past the fish pens to Sarah Island then onto the Gordon River and Heritage Landing for the second part of the tour.
For adults, pricing starts from around $150 and goes up to $200. What you pay depends on where you sit, there are Main Deck and Upper Deck options and centre and window seat options too. For children aged 5 to 16 prices range from around $70 – $100. There are also family tickets and children under 5 travel free.
While you do have an allocated seat, if the weather is ok, you’ll find you are up on one of the decks taking in the views. There are commentaries on and off throughout the cruise and ecologists on hand to chat about what you are seeing in the forest as you glide along the Gordon River. We spotted some river dolphins on our cruise which was fun surprise.
We couldn’t have been happier with our experience. The 6 hours on the water went quickly, the crew were fantastic, and the ploughman’s lunch was delicious. World Heritage Cruises also offer an afternoon cruise over January and other special cruises such as the lantern cruise of Sarah Island which would be amazing.
Gordon River Cruises
Their Gordon River Cruise leaves 30 minutes earlier at 8.30am and gets bragging rights for being the first cruise onto the Gordon River each day. This cruise also heads straight to Hells Gate then past the salmon pens but then goes up the Gordon River to Heritage Landing and finishes its day at Sarah Island. So, if you want the glassiest conditions on the river, this might be the cruise for you. The Spirit of the Wild cruiser also has a ‘whisper mode’ for silently gliding along the Gordon River.
You can choose between the main deck with a central seat or window seat and the Premier Upper Deck. On the main deck prices start at around $160. If you go for the Premier Upper Deck the price is close to $330. Our friends did this and said they would do it again in a second – they loved the open bar, amazing food and service. Generally, Gordon River Cruises is the pricier option of the two providers
You don’t just get guides on this cruise, you get character-based ‘performances’ from past historic figures which really adds to the cruise and builds nicely around the stories you’ll hear on Sarah Island. If you have done the Gordon River Cruise before, it is worth considering the Pillinger Explorer tour option. This cruise in the smaller My Sophia takes you to the ruins of the port town of Pillinger then onto Bonnet Island and Hells Gate. It’s on our list for our next trip to Strahan.
Strahan Accommodation
- Wheelhouse Apartments – Gorgeous apartments with lake or river view, 12 minutes walk from the beach.
- Salt Box Hideaway Stunning little beach house with sea or mountain views. 3 night minimum booking.
- Strahan Village Best views of Macquarie Harbour from your hilltop room or waterfront cottage. Easy walk to Wharf.
- Big4 Strahan Holiday Retreat – Stay in a cabin, cottage or site amongst 11 acres of tall trees & a platypus stream
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