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| Strahan | ||
| State | Tasmania | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents | 708 (2016) | |
| height | 26 m | |
| Tourist info web | http://www.discoverstrahan.com.au/ | |
no tourist info on Wikidata:  | ||
| location | ||
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Strahan is a small town in the west Tasmania, she is on Macquarie Harbor, one of the largest natural harbors in Australia.
background
It became official Strahan founded in 1892, before that the place was Long Bay or Regatta Point called, around 1877 it got its current name after Major George Strahan, a former governor of Tasmania.
Much earlier - between 1822 and 1833 - there was a penal colony on the nearby island of Sarah Island. With the opening of the railway lines to the neighboring mining towns Queenstown and Zeehan in 1899 began a brief heyday as a port city, at that time Strahan had the second largest port in Tasmania. With the increasing size of ships in shipping, the natural obstacles of Macquarie Harbor became apparent - the silting up due to the entry of the Gordon River in particular, as well as the narrow and difficult to navigate opening to the sea. There was a large-scale project to upgrade the port, parts of which can still be seen today. However, it was never completed, with the closure of the railway lines in the 1960s, the port of Strahan lost all importance in cargo shipping.
At the beginning of the 1980s, the Tasmanian government pushed ahead with plans to damming the Gordon River and Franklin River with the construction of the Franklin Dam in order to generate energy. The gigantic project would have led to the extensive destruction of the surrounding rainforests and met with massive resistance from the local population, from environmental groups but also from parts of the Australian central government. After construction work began, there were numerous protests, hundreds of protesters were arrested, the site was occupied and the Gordon River was blocked by the sea. Ultimately, the case ended up in the highest Australian court, which in 1983 in the landmark case Commonwealth versus Tasmania In a tight decision, the Australian central government conceded to stop the construction of the dam against the will of the Tasmanian government. Today the Gordon River with the surrounding cold-tempered rainforests belongs to the Franklin Gordon Wild Rivers National Park and is part of the Tasmanian Wilderness, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
getting there
By plane
Strahan has a small airport with a paved runway, but there are no regular flight connections. Private charters from Hobart and Launceston are available.
By bus
In the street
The B24 (near Queenstown) and the B27 (near Zeehan) connect Strahan to the A10. The connection to Queenstom in particular is a very winding road, on which rapid progress is not possible. The travel time by car according to Hobart takes about 4-5 hours.
By boat
It is possible to arrive with your own or a chartered boat, as well as access to Macquarie Harbor however leads over the very dangerous (narrow, strong current) access Hell's Gates. Apart from the local excursion shipping, there are no scheduled or ferry services.
mobility
Dynamic cardsThe center of Strahan can easily be explored on foot.
Tourist Attractions
activities
Boat tours in the national park
Of World Heritage Cruises and Gordon River Cruises Boat tours lasting around 5 1/2 hours are offered daily in the mornings, and also in the afternoons in the main season. The Macquarie Harbor until his exit Hell's Gates (if the weather is suitable, even further), navigated, including explanations of the history of the natural harbor, the development of sustainable fish farming and the ecological connections in Macquarie Harbor. On the island Sarah Island there is a longer shore leave to the remains of a former convict colony - the attraction of this excellent tour is also the very entertaining tour by actors. A part of the Gordon River, the main tributary of Macquarie Harbor, followed by another shore leave with a walk through the protected rainforest on the Gordon River. The tours belong to the must see on the west coast of Tasmania.
theatre
- The Ship That Never Was. A play about the history of the last convicts on ’’ Sarah Island ’’ runs daily at 5.30 p.m. (from September to May) in a small open-air theater next to the tourist information office. The performances have been running since 1993, duration approx. 75 minutes, by the ’’ Round Earth Company ’.
West Coast Wilderness Railway
The West Coast Wilderness Railway is the partial reconstruction of a narrow-gauge railway originally built for the mines of the region and opened at the end of the 19th century. It runs with historical vehicles on the route between Queenstown and Regatta Point in Strahan. The journey leads through the rainforest over some spectacular bridges, the route is only used for tourism. Operations ceased in April 2013, after renovation work and a change of operator, the section went Queenstown to Dubbil Barril in operation again on January 6, 2014, meanwhile the entire line is in operation again. There are three different routes:
- 1) River and Rainforest - from Strahan to Dubbil Barril and back
- 2) Rack & Gorge - Queenstown to Dubbil Barril and back
- 3) Queenstown Explorer - Strahan to Queenstown and back with a one hour stop in Queenstown
Which trips take place on which days of the week depends on the season and can be found in the timetable (prices depending on the package from 100 - 225 AUD for adults).
shop
The shopping possibilities are very limited, the only supermarket can be found in the 1 Reid Street.
kitchen
accommodation
health
in the Strahan Medical Center there is an on-call service for urgent medical cases. The nurse on duty is notified by telephone. A pharmacy can be found next to the supermarket.
Practical advice
- West Coast Visitor Information, The Esplanade, in the area of port facilities. Open: daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Post office, on the corner of The Esplanade and Hurst Street. Open: Mon-Fri 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sat 1 p.m.-5 p.m.
trips
- West Coast Pioneers' Museum, 114 Main Street. In a good 40 km away Zeehan the West Coast Pioneers' Museum is located, it operates today also under the name West Coast Heritage Center. While the small town seems to be dying, the widely recognized museum bears witness to the golden age of the mines in the region. Also that belonging to the complex Gaiety Theater was restored.Open: Daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Ocean Beach. If you follow the C251 past the airfield, you will come to the after a few kilometers Macquarie Heads Road (Gravel Road) past some campsites to Ocean Beach, the extensive beach leads around the headland in the area of the entrance to Macquarie Harbor. Grandiose nature and grandiose view of the narrowness Hell's GatesParts of the beach can be driven on with 4WD vehicles.
literature
Web links
- An official website is not known. Please open Wikidata add.
- Strahan at discovertasmania.com
