I was going to start this post with the story of our amazing seaplane flight up the Gordon River from Strahan but, I’m sad to say, I’ve just found out Strahan Seaplanes have closed their doors due to family health issues. Hopefully, their situation will change and they will resume their wonderful service.

The other way to experience the river is the Gordon River Cruise. Departing Strahan early morning, the clouds were ominous as we crossed Macquarie Harbour, six times the size of Sydney Harbour.

The lifesaving apparatus was reassuring.

The reflections in the calm waters of the river were stunning, the wake of the boat hardly disturbing the surface.

Looking back downstream, the remoteness was realised.

Later in the morning, we disembarked at Heritage Landing and walked through part of the largest tract of temperate rainforest surviving on earth.

The return journey started with a delicious lunch, sipping on a beverage as we enjoyed the wonderful scenery.

The next destination was Sarah Island. A penal colony from 1822-1833, the ruins of some of the buildings still stand. The guided tours are apparently very entertaining, we opted to explore the island in our own way.

The views from the island highlight the rugged isolation

emphasised further as we meandered back to Strahan.

If not for the efforts of conservationists and public opinion in the early 1980s, much of this area would be underwater if the Franklin Dam had eventuated.