# Tas. Trip to Strahan.



## spork (Jan 21, 2012)

Jen and I just got back from a week at Strahan.
We had a great time. The weather was awesome. The day we went and the day we returned were fine and mild, we only had one dreary day the whole time (day 6) but even that wasn't so awful I couldn't go fishing.
I took a heap of pics. Would have been more but someone (me) forgot to charge the camera prior to our cruise up the Gordon River on the Lady Jane.

Day one:
Launched from just near here. Calm. Sunny. Awesome.









Anyone know what this is? It rises from a few meters of water alongside the remains of an old pier.









The first of many. Not as tiny as he looks, the lure is 10cm long. Was hoping for something bigger - a big brown or an escaped (fish farms in Maquarie Harbour) atlantic salmon.









As I got further out it got a little choppier. This is Australias 2nd biggest bay. IIRC 6 times bigger than Sydney Harbour, and about 1/2 the size of Port Phillip bay Much prettier though...









Close to Strahan itself is the remains of this old pier. Judging from the size of the construction materials and the proximity to the railway I'd imagine it once had trains unloading from it.









Around the corner from the last one, another derelict. Plenty of structure, no fish...









Caught 7-8 of these this day. This one was the prettiest so I took a photo.

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At the local mill, one of only a few licensed to salvage, mill and sell Huon Pine, they have this log on display.









The winch needs some CRC...









They fire up their old saw every day for the tourists. It was pretty cool. Also sell everything from fine furniture, crafts, raw slabs, sawn planks and even offcuts. Being a [email protected] I spent $5 on some offcuts that may one day become cheese-boards.

After the mill we went for a short walk to a nearby waterfall. It started from a place called "Peoples Park" and was nearly all flat along an excellent track. We saw people pushing kids in a pram!
I'll let the pictures do the talking:





































By now we were ready for dinner.


















After a few more ales, a shower and a stroll along the foreshore our first day ended.

Day two.
We started with a drive to the heads to check out the camping area (looks great!) and see the sights.
Along the way we stopped at a little picnic area and did a couple of short walks. The first was a flattish loop around the foreshore and through the ferns, the second was a zig-zag goat-track up to a lookout.

On the first, flat walk:










From the lookout:









There were a lot of grasshoppers in this area.

















Next we went to Henty Dunes. Big steep buggers! I took a very steep shortcut - each step I took I slid 1/2 way back to where the step started. After a few minutes slog I reached the top. Jen was going the longer way around, before she also took a steepish shortcut to join me. She found bum-first the way to go.









Making progress!









After lunch (Bacon, eggs & asparagus sammiches) I went for a fish again. Love being able to load the 'yak up at the campsite and then walk it little more than 100 (flat!) meters to launch!

Shortly after launch some local pro fishermen (Ab divers?) thought my kayak was a new kind of navigation aid.
http://s808.beta.photobucket.com/user/S ... 9.mp4.html
Strangely a few seconds after I got my camera out they decided I was not a marker bouy and altered course. They even slowed down. We exchanged friendly waves as they passed - more than 50m away and at reduced speed. Lovely blokes. 

More salmon.









In the tanin stained water the psychadelic coloured YEP minnow was slaying them. So much that it wore out. OK, that might have been my clumsiness removing the rear trebble from (yet another) fish - and from the lure as well...









The Lady Jane Franklin II. We are booke dor a cruise on her on Monday. 









The DSI was really struggling in the tanin stained water. I switched to purple with a white background, and ended up using the 455mHz frequency as the 800 was loosing signal quite often in this deep water.









The weber did another roast. Chicken this time.









Washed down with a good beer (or 3).









Once again, a stroll along the beach and a read of our books, a shower and bed, with dreams of monster trout up the Henty river...

Day 3.
The Henty river is just a short drive from Strahan.
In Spring it has whitebait, and sea run trout.
It's not spring, but I hear there are some monster resident browns.
Most people fish downstream from the bridge. Upstream is "too snaggy for a boat, and too rough to fish from the banks". Or maybe there just aren't any fish...
I saw one small galaxia (?). I did fish most of the way that I went (prob 5-6 k's up from the bridge.) I didn't catch a thing (apart from snags!) but that didn't matter.

The scenery was stunning. My poor little point and shoot camera, and my lack of skill really don't do it justice. This was some of the most breath-takingly beautiful scenery I have ever seen. Apart from the buzz of insects and the slight sound of my pedaling it was eerily silent. Sometimes I felt like I might be the only person on earth, or the first one ever to come here. (I'm sure I wasn't). It was an odd feeling of solitude and silence. I'f I'd have hooked a fish I'd probably have shat!

I'd love to go here again - maybe with someone with a good camera and some skill using it. Meanwhile, here are my efforts:

Prepare to launch!









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:lol:


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## TheFishinMusician (Feb 5, 2007)

Cracker!


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## dru (Dec 13, 2008)

I'm going to come back to this tonight when I have time to soak it up. Short note simply to say thanks.


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## brant78 (Jun 24, 2012)

The photos alone are fantastic! Thanks so much.


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## spork (Jan 21, 2012)

Glad you are enjoying it.
Sorry I don't have any pics of huuuuge fish. 

Part two>

Day 4.
Another ripper of a day. Fine and sunny, some breeze but not too bad.
Had planned to fish the Henty again today but downstream from the bridge. For whatever reason I just couldn't get motivated. I was finding the convenience of just putting my gear on the 'yak, putting ther 'yak on the trolley, and walking 2 minutes (if that!) to the beach hard to resist.
First though Jen and I spent some time exploring the area again, this time going for a look on the Eastern side of Maquarie Harbour.
We came accross the cemetary. Some graves here from the 1880's. Some perhaps even older. They told a story. Some were quite grand, some were very simple. Some were nothing but slightly raised mounds.
Many were infants, some were people who despite the hardships had lived well into their 80's and 90's. Quite a few were for people who had drowned in this often treacherous waterway.




























Next we drove to a small congregation of shacks on the way to Lowana. I didn't get any pics (it felt like an invasion of privacy) but these were _real_ shacks. Not holiday homes. They were little fibro or corrugated iron buildings, mostly made from leftover or salvaged materials. They looked like they had been painted with whatever colour the local shop was giving away - if they were painted at all. Some of the caravans at the park were probably bigger! They were great, not many places like this are left.

Onto Lowana station. Not sure of it's history. The Abt railway goes there now I believe. Not much to look at. Over the tracks we were beside the King River, near it's mouth. This river was poisoned for years by the wste from the mines and smelters in Queenstown. It is healthier now than I remember it 35 (ish) years ago, but the mud flats near the mouth are still pretty barron.

The railway out of Lowana.









Mud flats, King River mouth.









Back to Strahan for lunch.

Then I went for another fish.
Caught a heap more cocky salmo. First five minutes I'd landed 3. Soon stopped counting.
Hooked something that felt a bit bigger - took some line on a couple of runs, spat the hooks before I saw what it was. Escaped atlantic salmon? Good size trout? I'll never know...

Stretched my legs on a little beach. Have reduced some of the clutter from the decks.









Wouldn't paddle here without a flag. Not only boats to watch out for, and these things come in fast. Two of them operating most days we were here.









Little loco(green) and carriges in fromt of main station in Strahan.









DSI struggling in the tannin water @ 20m. Even in this mode which I found the best for this area.









Local IGA had smokey BBQ wings for $3.00 this big pack with short expiry date. Easy and delicious. 









Day 5.
We were booked on a cruise on one of the big catamarans out of Strahan. I had a discout voucher for the Lady Jane Frankiln II, so we went on that one.
The last few days had beed a little breezez in the afternoons but quite still in the mornings. Unfortunately a front had come through about 4:00am (I'd heard it!) and although it was bright and sunny (forecast HOT) therew as a stiff breeze all day. The 100 odd foot cat handled the chop on the harbour effortlessly, but there was enough wind to ruin the reflections off the famous Gordon River.
Can't win 'em all...

Had to be at the pier by 0815, so finally got a shot of the old post office / customs house without cars parked in front of it.









Cruising at 28 knots we were soon at the heads - "Hells Gate".



























This was a day with moderate winds and a fairly small swell - in a 100+ foot modern catermaran with a pair of 1000+ hp engines. People used to row through here!

We paused by the fish farms, ocean trout and atlantic salmon. No pics - someone forgot to charge camera and was "saving" it...

About one beer later we entered the Gordon River. Even without still water and reflections it was still a beautiful sight.









"Young" (about 80 years old) Huon Pine sapling:









Fungi-on-myrtle.









2300 year old huon pine. Fell over about 12 years ago. This tree was 300 years old while Jesus was playing full back for Jeruselum!









After a gourmet lunch we stopped at Sarah Island, an old penal settlement, and were treated to a tour and talk about the local history.
This is what remains of the old gaol.









Then it was a 2 beer trip back to Strahan.

Stinking hot. We went for a swim. Water was "refreshing. Invigorating even". In the shade of our gazebo my little digital thermometer was reading 34c, at 4:30 in the afternoon.
Too hot to cook tonight. Scholtz fish shop do a superb pizza. 

Day 6.
It had to happen. A day when the weather was not hot, fine and sunny. We had a rainy night and some showers throught the day and more wind than I'd like. When the sun did shine it was quite warm - but always windy.
Spent $2 each to have a look at "Tut's whittle wonders" over the road from the IGA.
Basically a shed full of bits of wood that the owner has collected and with minimal shaping etc. turned into something. Tut obviously has a great imagination and sense of humour. If you are in Strahan, give his Mrs $2. and have a chuckle.




































































































Time for lunch...









Then fishing.
Won't bore you with yet more pics of cocky salmon. There were plenty. Didn't hook the "big one" that got away the day before.

Wind kept getting stronger.
Was almost surfing on the whitecaps by the time I called it a day.









Going home.

All good things must come to an end.
I don't get paid to go camping / fishing, neither does Jen, and she's back at work and uni next week.

There was lots of sand in the car.









But Jen wanted more! (For her sand-play therapy).









We stopped at a lookour near cradle mountain.









Lake Lea.









(Potentially) the worlds best flying fox.









Stuck behind a couple of Britz campervans, and I needed a pee - scenic detour.









Jen crossed her legs until Sheffield.

Coffee and lunch at The Raspberry Farm was delicious, filling, and a great brownie-point scorer, and 1/2 an hou later we were home.

Thanks for reading.


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## gcfisho (Oct 31, 2009)

Great report and photos.The wife and I drove around Tassie 3 years ago including Strahan and had a great time enjoying the scenery and appreciating the history.Your report prompted some memories of somewhere we plan on returning to someday,thanks for the effort.


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## submdi (Feb 1, 2013)

Nice report and pics. Very lucky with the weather.

I miss Tassie. It's been 15 years since I left. Mum and dad had a shack at Strahan when we were kids. Have a few vague memories. Was probably only about 6 or 7 years old.


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## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

Thanks Spork. That is one of the best trip reports I've ever read (though not strictly kayak based), but I admit I'm biased. I have Tassie as a 'must do' on my list ... the scenery and history, the paddling, the fishing, the rockclimbing and the bushwalking. *It is the 'jewel in the crown' for Australia*.

Thanks. I like .. very much.

trev


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## Rockster (Sep 7, 2007)

Another great trip report photos from a fantastic part of the country. Only thing is can you put a warning at the start of your report that it contains photos of food & beer, it just looks so delicious! :lol: Bugger about having to go back to work. 
Thanks for sharing.
Bob


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## Ado (Mar 31, 2008)

kayakone said:


> the scenery and history, the paddling, the fishing, the rockclimbing and the bushwalking


You forgot the No 1 - the CAVING! Sensational (in a masochistic kind of way).

Great report as always Spork. Your photographic journeys are always a pleasure, but they make me hungry. I loved Strahan. It's such a wild place. I can't believe you had so little wind. It was bleak, bleak, bleak when I was there (24 years ago).


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## spork (Jan 21, 2012)

Thanks all for the kind comments, I'm glad you enjoyed my trip report.
Maybe next time I'll have some pic's of fish... meanwhile I'll just keep distracting you with the beautiful scenery and non-seafood meals. :lol: 
We were really lucky with the weather. Chatting to a young fella who's doing catamaran tours on a 17' Hobie down there and he said this was the first decent weather they'd had since December!
Did get a few windy days, but there is always a lee shore somewhere.


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## Dodge (Oct 12, 2005)

spork both an enjoyable read, and beautiful pics of a lovely bit of Australia.

Must say you eat well when travelling mate, and has given me a need for an early dinner.


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## dru (Dec 13, 2008)

SWMBO and I spent our 10th anniversary in Strahan. God, such a long time ago. Incredible place.

Remember seeing a Huon pine trunk that had fallen into the swamp. And a cellery pine that grew up with the Huron trunk in it's roots. The Huon stuck in mud for its life looked ready for milling. The cellary was judged at 300 yo.

Franklin is a spectacle, but I wonder what you would have been catching bar the introduced salmon and trout.

The pub had pics of platypus playing on the beaches (at creek run offs). We never found any.

But it's also about the drive in to Strahan, which is like a moon scape. Extremes.

Mate thanks so much for the pics and your story. A real reason as to why being on AKFF is so rewarding. Thanks.


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## Brc226 (Jul 31, 2009)

Great trip report and most enjoyable read. Pity the atlantic salmon and trout didn't play the game but at least the good old Aussie salmon was there to keep you busy.

I did a central plateau plateau hike earlier this year and only managed 1 trout for the trip. Not much to brag about but more than enough to entice me back again.


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## Zed (Sep 18, 2006)

Beautiful pix. I know nothing about the area, so thank you.


spork said:


> This tree was 300 years old while Jesus was playing full back for Jeruselum!


Classic.
Beitar Jerusalem F.C. hasn't made the CL since.


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