Today we are in Strahan on the West Coast of Tasmania. We spent most of the day cruising the mighty Gordon River.

The boat is a kind of hybrid with both diesel and electric motors. This means that you can cruise up the river almost silently to absorb the ambiance of the wilderness.

Margaret was very happy to be onboard, and I was trying to smile and press the right button on the phone camera at the same time.

The cruise is very pleasant with excellent presentations on history, cultural and environmental issues. We stopped off for a couple of easy guided walks.

We had an hour on Sarah Island which was, in its time, the most brutal convict colony in Australia.

It was also a place of amazing ingenuity, especially when it came to escaping. One convict who escaped and was picked up in Hobart, was set free to assist in surveying the highlands which he had just traversed and had unique knowledge.

Over time Sarah Island established a boat building industry because of Huon Pine which was regarded as an amazing timber for all kinds of construction. When the order came to close down the penal settlement, they left 10 convicts along with the master ship builder to finish the remaining ships that were partly built. When they came to completing the final one, the 10 convicts stole it and sailed it to Chile. They were eventually recaptured by the British and brought back to Australia where they were charged with piracy and stealing a boat. They argued that since the ship was never registered it was nothing more than a collection of materials, and since the offences took place in the Harbour, it was not “on the high seas.” The magistrate agreed, and they were convicted of stealing rather than the much graver offences.

Tomorrow we head off to Launceston (pronounced Lonceston not Lawnceston). Will we go via Cradle Mountain?