With weather forecast to be much improved we got up even earlier
than usual to glimpse sunrise – and what a shock that proved to be! Emerging onto the balcony I was greeted with sub-zero temperatures, with a thick
layer of frost covering all the car windows and headlights. Invigorated, we
opted to bolt for the car and head straight for Lake Dove before anyone else
got there. Alas, on arrival, it seemed that one other couple had the same idea.
However, the spectacle of Cradle Mountain set against a crystal clear blue sky,
with a near perfect reflection created on the flat calm surface of the lake,
was sufficiently expansive to share with a few other folks. 
With camera batteries drained we headed back to the hotel to scoff
down a quick breakfast and then embarked on the scenic drive along back roads
to Strahan (pronounced ‘strawn’). This is situated behind a headland in Macquarie
Harbour, which extends 30km to the mouth of the Gordon River. It’s location
protects it from the near constant westerly gales that roam the Southern Ocean;
the so-called ‘Roaring Forties’. This weather system circles the bottom of the
world almost non-stop, interrupted only by the southernmost tip of South
America. For this reason there are NO major population centres at all on the
west coast of Tasmania, as the next landmass due west is Patagonia!
On route we diverted off-road to Granville Harbour, a tiny
settlement that at the time of our visit was actually sunny and tranquil; a
rare event according to the locals. That said, the waves breaking onto the
shore line either side of this natural harbour generated massive walls of white
spray. In my opinion, only the intrepid and foolhardy would attempt to venture
onto the sea, and we caught sight of a few old ‘sea dogs’ that lived in the
settlement who had clearly spent their lives doing just that. They sported
resplendent white beards on leathery faces that were marked with deep
crevasses, and possessed callused hands the size of dinner plates.
On arrival in Strahan we checked into another humble, yet quaint, cabin affording
magnificent views of the harbour area. We then immediately got back into the car to
watch sunset at ‘Hells Gate'; the narrow
passageway from the Southern Ocean into the Macquarie Harbour. Dinner was a
humble affair; ready-to-eat microwave fare, made palatable with yet another
bottle of wine – luvely jubbely!
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