Today we are cruising Macquarie Harbour and Gordon River
Gordon River
Our captain on the bridge. This is a family run business that goes back several generations.
Off we go. The rain has stopped and the sun is trying to break through.
Sarah Island is where convicts were sent when they re-offended. One of the worst places. Convicts were given 100 lashes for only minor infractions.
This is all that’s left of a large oven used for cooking bread. They actually put something in the bread to make it go mouldy so that the prisoners wouldn’t hoard it when planning an escape.
This is our guide who did a terrific commentary.
The Gordon River is calm at this time. It was the scene back in 1983 of protests against damming the Franklin River for hydro. It was one of the first protests with regards to protecting the environment. They won but there were hundreds arrested for protesting.
This area is protected now after achieving 7 out of 10 items necessary to achieve World Heritage rating. There is only one other place in the world that has achieved 7 out of 10 rating.
The story of Huon Pine is very interesting. It was logged extensively at one time but is now protected. It has an oil in it that makes it perfect for ship building. It does not rot. If a Huon Pine tree falls in the forest it will be there hundreds of years later. We saw some that was 2500 years old.
This is Ocean Beach. According to our guide the air here is the freshest in the world at this beach. The next land mass is South America. It was blowing pretty good while we were here.
Facing the other direction on Ocean Beach you can see how the sand is being blown along.
After we returned from town we go to an outdoor play put on in Strahan called The Ship That Never Was. It was about an escape that was made by several convicts from Sarah Island. It was very cold and windy.
The play was very funny and was interactive with the audience.
After the play we went over to the Hostel where the rest of our group were staying. One of the fellows (Italian) offered to make pasta for everyone. It was good and a nice way to finish the day.
Gordon River
Our captain on the bridge. This is a family run business that goes back several generations.
Off we go. The rain has stopped and the sun is trying to break through.
Sarah Island is where convicts were sent when they re-offended. One of the worst places. Convicts were given 100 lashes for only minor infractions.
This is all that’s left of a large oven used for cooking bread. They actually put something in the bread to make it go mouldy so that the prisoners wouldn’t hoard it when planning an escape.
This is our guide who did a terrific commentary.
The Gordon River is calm at this time. It was the scene back in 1983 of protests against damming the Franklin River for hydro. It was one of the first protests with regards to protecting the environment. They won but there were hundreds arrested for protesting.
This area is protected now after achieving 7 out of 10 items necessary to achieve World Heritage rating. There is only one other place in the world that has achieved 7 out of 10 rating.
The story of Huon Pine is very interesting. It was logged extensively at one time but is now protected. It has an oil in it that makes it perfect for ship building. It does not rot. If a Huon Pine tree falls in the forest it will be there hundreds of years later. We saw some that was 2500 years old.
This is Ocean Beach. According to our guide the air here is the freshest in the world at this beach. The next land mass is South America. It was blowing pretty good while we were here.
Facing the other direction on Ocean Beach you can see how the sand is being blown along.
After we returned from town we go to an outdoor play put on in Strahan called The Ship That Never Was. It was about an escape that was made by several convicts from Sarah Island. It was very cold and windy.
The play was very funny and was interactive with the audience.
After the play we went over to the Hostel where the rest of our group were staying. One of the fellows (Italian) offered to make pasta for everyone. It was good and a nice way to finish the day.
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