Queenstown Railway Station
View from our hotel room
It had been 26 years since we cruised the Gordon River so on Friday morning we set out, early, and boarded Spirit of the Wild, a beautiful catamaran that seats 190 passengers. The ship was less than half full which meant we had no problem with crowds on the viewing decks, not that we needed them with floor to ceiling glass throughout the ship.
We first sailed through Macquarie Harbour, which is the second largest in Australia after Port Philip Bay, and six times the size of Sydney Harbour. As we approached Hell’s Gates we passed the 'training wall' which was built in 1901 to keep the silt out and ensure the depth of the channel for shipping. Today, cormorants sun themselves all along the rock wall.
Petuna, Tassel and Huon Aquaculture hold 10 salmon leases in
the harbour and employ 100 people. The round black poly-pipe pens are up to 21
metres deep and can hold up to 20,000 fish. The salmon are supplied from hatcheries and fed special fish pellets, which contain all the oils, vitamins and minerals they need, using a high tech automatic feeding system. Once the salmon reach 4-5 kgs they are harvested; taken to Devonport for processing and shipped to the mainland the following day. It is an impressive operation.
At the entrance to the Gordon River we slowed considerably to ensure the ship didn't contribute to any onshore erosion. As we cruised gently down the river, the reflections on the mirrored surface of the water were truly magnificent. The ship pulled into a small wharf and we walked through the rainforest viewing ancient Huon pines, Celery Top pine, Whitey Wood, Sassafras, Tasmanian Laurel and Blackwood. Although the only wildlife we saw were cormorants flying with the ship, the area is also home to the Azure Kingfisher, Pink Breasted Robin and the White Bellied Sea Eagle. We were constantly on the lookout for possum, pademelon and wallaby and were glad we didn't come across any of Tasmania's three varieties of snake!
Our last treat of the day was an hour's tour of Sarah Island, once hell on earth for re-offending convicts. It was famous for its cruel punishment including solitary confinement and the 'Macquarie Cat', a double version of the Cat o'Nine Tails. Today there are remains of some of the 27 buildings which once housed the commandant, doctor, minister, administration, servants and of course male prisoners. A few female prisoners were accommodated on 'Grummett Rock', a tiny island nearby.
Small ship building dock
Servants' Kitchen
Bakery
t
Solitary Confinement
New Penitentiary
The remainder of our stay included a drive out to Ocean Beach (Tasmania's longest) where we watched a magnificent sunset, and four-wheel driving on the beach up to Macquarie Heads. And all in perfect weather!
We finished our holiday by attending Australia's longest running stage play, 'The Ship That Never Was,' at the Richard Davey Amphitheatre in Strahan. This dramatic yet hilarious play, with lots of audience participation, tells the story of the last great escape from Sarah Island in 1834. The Frederick, the last ship built on the island, was hijacked by 10 convict shipwrights who sailed it to South America.
Jim played the role of a convict named Kent, who was called upon to 'throw up' on the audience from time to time. And Penny was one of the props people who sprayed water over everyone else during a 'bad storm' at sea. We had such a great time - and it was fitting end to a fantastic few days!
