Southwest National Park and the Franklin River

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Tasmanian Wilderness (1982, Extended 1989). The Trackless South West Corner Of Tasmania, Reached By A Gordon River Cruise Or Seaplane From The Old Timber Port Of Strahan, Holding The Franklin River Made Famous By The 1980s Dam Blockade And Some Of The Last True Wilderness Left In A Temperate Climate Anywhere On Earth · Strahan, Tasmania

Southwest National Park covers Tasmania's trackless far south-west corner, the remotest and least visited part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area inscribed in 1982 and extended in 1989. Unlike Cradle Mountain and the Overland Track to its north, this stretch of the listing has almost no formed walking network at all - the practical way in is a Gordon River cruise or a scenic seaplane flight, both departing the old timber port of Strahan on the west coast. The Franklin River, the wild water that runs through the park's heart, became a national flashpoint in the early 1980s when a proposed hydroelectric dam drew a mass blockade that helped end Tasmania's dam-building era and shaped national environmental politics for a generation. Today the river is better known for multi-day whitewater rafting for experienced or guided paddlers, while most visitors see the wilderness from a cruise boat or a seaplane landing briefly on the river. Weather here closes flights and delays cruises with little warning, and there is no mobile coverage away from Strahan.

Tasmania's trackless south-west, reached by Gordon River cruise or seaplane from the old timber port of Strahan, Strahan, Tasmania, Australia

There is no gate or closing time for the park itself, since almost none of it is reached on foot from a road. Gordon River cruises from Strahan run daily departures that operate year round but can be delayed, shortened or cancelled on short notice in rough weather, particularly through the cooler months from around May to September. Seaplane flights over the Franklin and Gordon rivers depend entirely on weather and do not fly in low cloud, strong wind or poor visibility, with no fixed fallback time if a flight is scrubbed. Multi-day Franklin River rafting trips run on a seasonal window, broadly November to March, and are closed entirely outside it due to high water and extreme cold. Confirm the day's cruise and flight schedule directly with the Strahan operator before travelling, since neither runs to a fixed clock independent of conditions.

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