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Strahan
 See a map of Strahan
Find bargain family Accommodation in North& West Tasmania
Strahan is located on Tasmania's west coast, by road approximately 290 km north-west of Hobart and 270 km south-west of Launceston, on the western shore of Lake Macquarie, the second largest harbour in the Southern Hemisphere after Sydney. The average temperatures in summer vary between 10 and 20 degrees Celsius, while in winter the range is 4 to 12 degrees.
In its early years Strahan was a timber and fishing town, and was a major port in the region's mining boom of the late 1800s. On Macquarie Harbour, south-east of the town, is Sarah Island, which was one of Tasmania's most brutal penal colonies, as depicted in Marcus Clarke's "For the Term of His Natural Life".
Until 1982 it remained a quiet fishing village - it was in this year the town was the centre stage for the 'Fight for the Franklin', an Australia-wide fight to prevent the Franklin River from being dammed for a proposed hydro-electric development. The fight to stop the development was successful, and since 1982 tourism has become Strahan's major industry, the town acting as the gateway to several wilderness wonders, including the Gordon-Franklin Wild Rivers National Park. Visitors can explore these wilderness areas in a variety of ways - half and full day cruises, yacht charters, jet boats, helicopter and seaplane scenic flights, 4WD tours, rafting and kayaking tours, trout fishing tours and more. Ocean Beach, 6 km west of Strahan, is Tasmania's longest beach, 33 km in length. Keep an eye out here for the platypuses inhabiting the small creeks that run to the beach. Along this stretch of beach are the Henty Sand Dunes, the largest moving dune system in Tasmania, with guided 4 wheel motor bike tours available. If you decide to explore the beach on your own in a 4WD vehicle, beware of quicksand in some locations, particularly in the winter.
In addition to its tourism industry Strahan remains a fishing town, serving as an anchorage for crayfish, abalone and shark fishing fleets. The main street, The Esplanade, curves around Strahan Harbour, and is lined with accommodation, restaurants, cafes, galleries and craft stores. It is also on The Esplanade that you'll find the Strahan Visitor Centre, where you can find out more of the history of the town, through multimedia displays and theatre. Next door is Morrison's Sawmill, one of the oldest working mills in the state, where you can watch the joinery producing furniture and other goods, or purchase small offcuts of the rare Huon pine.
Good sources of information for travellers exploring the wilderness areas are the offices of Forestry Tasmania and the National Parks and Wildlife, both situated in the centre of town. Although areas such as Gordon-Franklin Wild Rivers National Park, King River and Teeponkana Huon Pine rainforest are some distance from Strahan, there are also some natural attractions located within walking distance of the town, such as the rainforest area near Regatta Point, on the east side of the harbour.
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Copyright 2000-2008 | Australian Online Travel Pty Ltd | ABN 17 105 135 331
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Copyright 2000-2008 | Australian Online Travel Pty Ltd | ABN 17 105 135 331
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