Gordon River Cruises

 Explore World Heritage wilderness with the multi award-winning, Tasmanian owned and operated Gordon River Cruises, when you cruise the Gordon River board the state-of-the-art new vessel, Spirit of the Wild.
Take in the beauty of western Tasmania on a morning cruise from Strahan and enjoy being the first guests on the river to give yourself the best possible opportunity to see the world-famous reflections.
You’ll pass by natural landmarks such as Hells Gates, which marks the entrance to Macquarie Harbour from the Southern Ocean, and explore Sarah Island as you journey through the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.
Highlights of your cruise include:
– Cruising the Gordon River in World Heritage wilderness
– Enjoying the views of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area through Spirit of the Wild’s floor-to-ceiling windows.
– Visiting Sarah Island, a former convict settlement and shipyard and enjoy a lunch of local Tasmanian produce and beverages.
– The option of three seating levels, including two on the Main Deck as well as the Premier Upper Deck.
– Experiencing ‘quiet cruising’ with electric motors while on the Gordon River, allowing you to truly appreciate the tranquillity of this magnificent place.
– Your cruise takes place aboard Spirit of the Wild, a spacious, catamaran specially designed to travel smoothly on the Gordon River and fitted with a unique hybrid propulsion system that allows you to cruise quietly under electric motors while on the river.
Depart Strahan and pass by Hells Gates, a narrow opening where the Southern Ocean meets Macquarie Harbour. As you take in the small gap (just 80 metres), it’s easy to see how it got its name from early sailors.
Then head across the harbour, making your way to the lower reaches of the Gordon River as you pass by trout and salmon farms and the waterfront rainforest landscape of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. Disembark at Heritage Landing for a walk through the forest to see a variety of trees, including leatherwoods and Huon pine.
Walk a raised boardwalk and arrive at a 2,000-year-old Huon pine that fell to the ground but still grows saplings. Then visit Sarah Island, a former penal colony from the 1820s and 1830s, and watch a theatrical presentation to learn about its history, including how the island was once an important Australian shipyard, where the boats were built by convicts.