SATURDAY – DECEMBER 21, 2013
BOTTOM LINE:
Day 2 – World Heritage
Cruise
BACK STORY:
Our guide and driver Trent
had asked that we be ready to roll at 8am.
Although we upgraded our room, it did not include a private
bathroom. I had a restless night
thinking that I should get up and take my shower and do my hair before the
bathroom became crowded in the morning. I finally got up at 5am…burrrr!
The tour group provided
breakfast so once that was finished we were shuttled down into town to catch
the World Heritage Cruise into Maquarie Harbor, cruise through Hells Gate,
visit a fish farm, hike onto Sarah Island, have lunch, cruise up the Gordon
River, hike through a rainforest and return around 3pm to where we began. The
tour was optional and cost $80pp.
The Eagle was the name
of our ship and was a beautiful cat boat which won worldwide fame by towing 145
water skiers behind the boat at the same time.
Although the water was choppy, the boat was very smooth…I didn’t get
sick!
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Bruce and The Eagle
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| Captain Troy Grining |
Maquarie Harbor is a
good sized harbor but is brown from tannins washing down from rain waters high
in the mountains. Captain Troy Grining
asked us to think about the brown as being tea!
Although the harbor is large, the entrance is very narrow flanked by
rocky cliffs. There are two lighthouses
to aid boats, but for ships it is plain dangerous.
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Maquarie Harbor Lighthouse
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Hell's Gate
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The entrance to the
harbor is called Hell’s Gate and not because the gate is “like hell getting
through with a boat” but because those people that passed through the gate knew
that their prison life was going to be like hell!
Prior to us leaving on
this trip Bruce began reading a history book on Australia and more specifically
the penal colonies set up by Britain in the 1800’s. Tasmania had two of the harshest facilities,
one on Sarah Island and later one at Pt. Arthur. This tour included a visit to Sarah Island.
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| Sarah Island, Historic Prison Camp |
Criminals who were
shipped to Sarah Island knew that they were there to be disciplined to the
harshest extent possible for their crimes.
The intent of the magistrate was to break the spirit of the prisoner in
whatever manner necessary. The “maquarie
cat” was used for flogging and with one lash they would draw blood. Most lashings were between 15 and 50.
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Ruins of 3x6x6 prison cells
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| Penitentiary |
Prisoners were on the
Island for hard labor so the first order was to cut down all Huon pine trees in
the surrounding area to us for shipbuilding.
The prisoners also made bricks for building structures and sandstone
slabs out of rock in the area.
Solitary confinement
for some was spent in a 3’x6’x6’ cell having no windows so that the thick
darkness, silence and isolation would make them go mad.
The ships that were
made from the prisoners were pristine ocean going vessels. They were made of huon pine lumber that they
cut and milled. The wood was strong and
contained an oil that would repel weevils and barnacles from taking hold.
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Huon Pine tree
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There was something
very solemn about our visit. It was
almost like I could hear the screams of pain and torture in the wind. Britain’s harsh treatment of the men is
inconceivable. I fail to see what it
accomplished.
On the way to the
Gordon River, we visited a huge salmon and ocean trout fish farm out in the
harbor. The fish holding tanks are made
of netting. The fingerlings take 3 years
to mature for harvest. The nets are replaced
every year. There are under water
cameras, which are used to monitor fish compost. Fish are fed with big water cannons. Predators like birds and seals have become
problematic and are a real chore to keep in control.
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Tranquil Gordon River
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A beautiful buffet
luncheon was served, which included smoked salmon.
After lunch the captain
made his way up the tranquil waters of the Gordan River to Heritage Landing
where we disembarked for a hike up into a tree walk before heading back to
Strahan where we began. Sightings of the
towering mountains made for a wonderful cruise back.
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| Frenchman's Cap |
Stepping off the ship
the Morrison’s Huon Pine Sawmill was in operation to watch and hear how lumber
was milled in the old days.
We had just enough time
to catch our breath before we headed back into town to see the play, “The Ship
That Never Was.” With a two-person act
they cleverly pulled in about a dozen audience members to play different
characters. Bruce and I were
picked. It was excellent and made for a
lot of fun time.
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| At the play |
Walking to the town
center, we found one food option for dinner.
We placed our order and while we waited, we walked to the city park
where community members had organized a Christmas Carole sing a long. Strahan is a small community so it was sweet
to see the people turn out for a celebration.
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Community Singers
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Off to bed early, as we
board the bus and leave at 7:30am.
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| Tasmanian Sunset |
SUNDAY – DECEMBER 22, 20
