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The West Coast of Tasmania
Steeped in history, surrounded by spectacular wilderness and
breathtaking scenery, Tasmania's West Coast is a wonderful travelling
experience. Vast tracts of ancient rainforest, jagged mountain ranges,
beaches pounded by the Southern Ocean, the still, dark waters of the
stunning Gordon River and the wild Franklin River.
Aboriginals, convicts, piners and miners have all left their mark
on Tasmania's West Coast, where stories of early struggles unfold within
a unique natural heritage. And resting easily between the extremes of
hardship and magnificent beauty, old fashioned hospitality. From the
tiny historic village of Strahan, where fishing boats and cruisers moor,
to the mining towns of Tullah, Rosebery, Zeehan and Queenstown, the
character of the West lives on through local people.
Meet them on the water as you cruise Macquarie Harbour, as you
stroll through a Huon Pine sawmill or on a wilderness walk to
spectacular waterfalls in the South West World Heritage Area.
The Strahan Visitor Centre has a terrific interpretation centre which
explains the history of the area from convict settlement to the Franklin
Dam Blockade. Similar presentations in Queenstown and Zeehan provide an
enthralling account of the hardship encountered by West Coast pioneers.
An historical note:
Macquarie Harbour's population during its 11 years as a penal
settlement averaged about 300 convicts and guards, all crammed onto the
15 acres of windswept Sarah Island. Zeehan was Tasmania's third largest
town in the late 1800s, with a population of about 10,000 people during
its heyday as 'Silver City of the West'.
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Accommodation in
Strahan and Queenstown
B & B
Self Contained
Motel
Hotel
Dining
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