Day 5: Strahan
Unless you're a skilled driver who has been put to challenge on gravel roads with blind spots and minimum illumination from street lamps, I'd advise you to keep off Tazzie roads at night, especially the road which cuts through the mountain range from Cradle Mountain to Strahan. Thoroughly nightmarish and straight out of a horrifying roller-coaster ride. The early morning drive at 4a.m. took us through several small towns, before we hit the fringe of Strahan just before sunrise. With an hour or so to spare, we brought forward our visit to Ocean Beach and Henty Dunes. I think Jack and I had somehow started a bicker just before we arrived at Ocean Beach for whatever reason not, because I remembered the sound of the waves crashing on the beach and told myself how fucked up I was.
Let's just skip those unhappy parts.
Our plans at Strahan had been disrupted one week before our departure when we found out that the Stormbreakers, our initial vessel option to ride on Gordon River in, decided to take a long winter break. Dampener max. So thank goodness when we found out that the World Heritage Cruises were still operating, come rain or shine.
Tourists flock to Strahan only for a few reasons; Gordon River, Sarah Island, Hell's Gate, Huon pine and the Southeastern ocean breeze. Okay I made the last one up but, who knows, there might be wind-chasing weirdos around. Anyway, the comfy cruise (so comfy, we all fell asleep on the huge plush seats some time or another during the ride) took us up Gordon River, through Hell's Gate (aptly named by prisoners who were sent to Sarah Island for hard labor), to Sarah Island and to a lush boardwalk through the Huon pine forests of Strahan.
Our tour guide on Sarah Island had a wicked sense of humor. He would, while providing an extensive explanation of various spots on the island, illustrate his points by singling out individuals from the crowd and doing an impromptu skit with them, melodrama and all.
This is our captain speaking. Like, no joke. He's such a jolly good fellow, he welcomes anyone to take his co-captain seat, crew or commoner. He even posed for a photo while narrating the surroundings to the entire cruise via the PA system. Oh, and did I mention a buffet lunch onboard? Smoked salmon, cold cuts, salad, pasta, cheese platter, fresh fruits, and my favorite beetroot. The Tazzies know good food.
Our Discovery Holiday Park Cabin! Looks pretty simplistic from the outside, but warm and cosy on the inside! This was our cheapest accommodation of the entire trip, and yet the management gave us a complimentary cheese and nut platter, together with a bottle of sweet white from Brown Brothers.
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