The pit stop: Strahan
Once billed by the Chicago Tribune as the “best little town in the world”, Strahan revels in its isolation – with the ferocity of the Southern Ocean at its back and the peace of the rainforest wrapped like the grandest of gardens around Macquarie Harbour.
Eat
Dine on the waterfront at Risby Cove, where local ingredients are transformed into global flavours – South American curries, Portuguese salads, cheese fondues and the like. Or head uphill for the buffet and a loftier outlook at View 42°.
Drink
Strahan’s compulsory morning stop is The Coffee Shack, inside a cute corrugated-iron shed across the road from the Gordon River cruise boats. The coffee rivals anything from an inner-city barista, and the cakes are as sweet as the west-coast air.
See
In the calm of the morning, the Gordon River is typically a mirror on nature as Gordon River Cruises’ Spirit of the Wild drifts through perfect rainforest reflections on the river’s dark surface. Wilder stops along the way include Sarah Island and Hells Gates.
Shop
Huon pine has long been part of Strahan’s raison d’etre, and the working Morrison’s Huon Pine Sawmill on the wharf has a mill shop selling small pieces. Adjoining Wilderness Woodworks offers larger timber pieces.
Stay
Shack style hits the shores of Macquarie Harbour at Captain’s Rest. Once part of a shack village built at Lettes Bay for mine workers in the 1920s, this inviting waterfront cottage is now fitted out with luxe furnishings, a clawfoot bath and your own private jetty.
Credit: Marnie Hawson
Credit: Marnie Hawson
Credit: Marnie Hawson