Top Strahan Full-Day Tours: Discover Tasmania’s Wild West

So, you’re after that amazing excursion from Strahan, huh? Tassie’s West Coast delivers some seriously wild experiences, you know? Like, proper untouched spots packed full of tales of convicts, lumberjacks, and landscapes that’ll make your jaw drop Tasmania West Coast. Very few places on earth feel quite so removed from civilization. Basically, a full-day tour kicks all those boxes; picking only one, that’s the tricky part. That’s where this run-through is useful!

1. Gordon River Cruise: A Peaceful Wonder

Oh, you’ve gotta take a Gordon River cruise at some point! It’s like your West Coast starter pack starter pack. A smooth trip across Macquarie Harbour, Australia’s second biggest, lands you right in the middle of ancient rainforests and mirror-image waterways. Then it becomes plain sailing; gliding down a river while someone fills you in on the region’s juicy history? Yes, really perfect! More or less all cruises bring you to Sarah Island, also known as Settlement Island. Very much an original convict settlement site. The air practically buzzes with stories of convicts and hard labour from a former era. The reflections of ancient Huon Pines in the tea colored waters are simply fabulous; creating photographic memories. Plus, the included lunch will just keep you fueled! In short a Gordon River Cruise mixes peace, history and a hearty feed, and what else can you need?

2. Hells Gates and Harbour Cruise: Stories on the Water

Maybe you’re thinking a boat trip focused a tad on the wilder stuff, is that so? The Hells Gates harbor cruise has all of the dramas. The tour’s main attraction? The entrance of Macquarie Harbour; or known originally as Hells Gates. I mean the name itself makes your hairs stand up, doesn’t it really! Very apparently named by convicts who could not wait to leave to freedom. Hear, the strong waves of the Southern Ocean batter relentlessly into the calm harbor, I mean wild weather days provide extra special views of course. If, your sort of trip also takes you past the fish farms; it will just be the spot where you can learn ’bout Tassie’s aquaculture efforts. So it is history plus a view of modern-day industries. A trip around Hells Gates kind of presents a fuller view of Strahan’s life, so to speak harbour cruise.

3. Scenic Flight and Gordon River Cruise Combo: See it All From Above

Oh and what if you could experience Strahan from both the sky and water? Sounds a bit luxurious I admit but combo tours do exist. Picture yourself jumping into a tiny plane, looking through to see the never ending swaths of forest spread out below view from above. Very dramatic! So many of the combo-trips hook you up with the iconic Gordon River cruise directly. Very cool huh. So you get a good eyeful from up high and later see what it is up close. Basically, a luxury experience designed for travelers short on schedule, yet intent on capturing the maximum wilderness adventure. If money’s less of a thing and schedules more of a restraint, then maybe book one. Very efficient.

4. Sarah Island Historic Site Tour: Back to the Convict Days

Maybe all those penal history tidbits from other tours piqued more of your fancy, well look into a Sarah Island trip all on its own! Instead of viewing it like an add-on during some bigger tour. When it comes to walking ’round Sarah Island, it might appear almost a ghost town; and this just adds charm, very interesting. Arguably with a guide it tells the full story that turns the ruins to vivid tales. Honestly learning about the dramas, the struggles, the attempts to run away… and things! Plus they provide re-enactments sometimes. They truly are like mini-plays which bring out the characters, also make the facts even stickier. Is it convict tales that fascinate? A dedicated Sarah Island tour lets you properly indulge. In this way the place speaks directly island tour!

5. Strahan Wilderness Railway: A Ride Through the Rainforest

And fancy seeing the rainforest in a truly traditional way? The Strahan Wilderness Railway presents simply that opportunity; with it using a fully operational, historic steam train to crawl up steep hillsides. Then you view terrain totally inaccessible on foot! When it comes to those planned tour stops the guide can make that history sing. Stops like at Lower Landing and Rinadeena let guests step from their train and capture photos! All amongst landscapes appearing lost, is that what they do? The locomotive whistles bounce through the woods as a sensory bonus. In short this has some magic to make seeing nature just unforgettable. If train history appeals just book the spot for the railway right away! Very rewarding it is! The rail trip mixes old trains, green sights, plus bits of nostalgia just seamlessly seamlessly.