Gordon River Cruise Strahan: UNESCO Wilderness Electric BoatA Gordon River Cruise from Strahan takes you six hours into Tasmania's UNESCO-protected wilderness aboard Spirit of the Wild, a custom-built vessel with electric motors that let you experience the river in near-silence. You cruise to Sarah Island—a former convict penal colony with tangible history—and step ashore at Heritage Landing to walk an ancient rainforest with a guide. Chef-prepared lunch happens on the water as you return; the morning departure gets you there first, and the 360° viewing deck on the upper level gives you the river from every angle.Is it for me?You choose your deck level at checkout—Premier Upper Deck, Main Deck Window, or Main Deck Central—so you pick where you sit and what you see. The morning departure is what gets you there first on the river, which is the whole reason the operator built this boat and runs it this way; if you're arriving in Strahan with a free afternoon or a second day, the later departure works the same route with the same guide and the same lunch, just with fewer reflections on the water.
Gordon River cruise from Strahan: Sarah Island & rainforest walkA six-hour World Heritage cruise departing Strahan at 9am takes you through Hells Gates into Macquarie Harbour, past salmon and trout farms, to Sarah Island for a guided tour of Tasmania's first penal settlement, then deep into the Gordon River rainforest. You disembark at Heritage Landing to walk a boardwalk through the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park, where the ancient forest and its oldest trees are the reason the wilderness is protected. Lunch of Tasmanian produce and morning tea are prepared on-board; the skipper provides live commentary and video on the coast's history. Cruises run daily except Christmas and August 1–31.Is it for me?Choose Upper Deck if you want the best views and don't mind paying a little more for the included lunch and beverage service; Main Deck seating is the same cruise at a lower price and is the only option if you need wheelchair access. Either way, the six-hour window means you can fit this into a day trip to Strahan without rushing, and the lunch on-board means you're not hunting for a restaurant between the penal settlement and the rainforest.
