'If rivers are a metaphor for life, Tasmania's pristine Franklin River is breath itself' -
Andrew Bain, The Australian, 24 March 2006.

Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park is known to most visitors as the location of the popular Gordon River cruises (see Key Attractions for cruise details), but this 440,000-hectare (1,087,262-acre) national treasure is also the part of the Tasmanian World Heritage Area you drive through when you travel from Hobart to the west coast. The gentle watercourse that crosses the Lyell Highway between Lake St Clair and Queenstown is a far cry from the Franklin River of documentaries, but don't be misled - the challenging and rewarding section of the river is still downstream, as remote and untamed as ever.

Rafting the Franklin lets you view first hand rock formations and overhanging cliffs you may previously have seen only in wilderness posters and films. Those who complete the journey say you also learn about yourself - that the power and beauty of the river are transformative.

The Franklin River meets the Gordon upstream from Heritage Landing. In 1982-83, clashes between protestors and police during a campaign to save the Franklin River from being dammed for the production of hydro-electricity permanently altered the terrain of future environmental politics, not just in Tasmania but around the world.

You can hear the story of the protesters' blockade during a Gordon River cruise. Cruises depart from the west coast fishing village of Strahan daily (a Parks Pass is not required if you only intend to take the cruise). See World Heritage Cruises or Gordon River Cruises for cruise details.

The park's beauty and wildness are unsurpassed, but the depth of its cultural heritage is equally remarkable. In colonial times, convicts struggled in appalling conditions to fell Huon pines on the banks of the Gordon and float them downstream for shipbuilding at Sarah Island, which you can visit as part of the cruise. This is Tasmania's oldest penal settlement, having operated from 1822 to 1833.

Huon pines are now protected, and on the Gordon itself you can disembark at Heritage Landing and take a short forest walk to view some of the remaining specimens. These trees are renowned not only for the water-resistance of their timber but also for their extreme longevity, with individuals living up to 3,000 years and a known stand whose root base has been in existence for more than 10,000 years.

• Franklin River Nature Trail (10-25 minutes)
• Donaghys Lookout (40 minutes)
• Nelson Falls Nature Trail (20 minutes)

• Frenchmans Cap (three-five days)

There are basic free camp sites at the Collingwood River reserve on the Lyell Highway between Lake St Clair and Queenstown. Most day visitors to the park stay in Strahan.

There are many activities in and around Strahan that you can combine with a Gordon River cruise.

Guided commercial tours and guided walks of Teepookana Plateau can be arranged in the village. Once logged for Huon pine, today the site supports a forestry operation salvaging Huon pine stumps and limbs left by early timber-cutters. The boardwalk reaches a lookout tower with views over the plateau and its forests, then continues through a demonstration forest that shows how Huon pines are replanted.

Near Rosebery are Montezuma Falls, Tasmania's highest, while east of Queenstown is Lake Burbury, a dramatic hydro lake surrounded by mountains and wilderness bordering the World Heritage Area

Another great way to experience this area is on the historic West Coast Wilderness Railway between Queenstown and Strahan. This is one of Australia's great rail journeys.

The boundary of the park is about 2.5 hours' drive from Hobart along the Lyell Highway (A10). From Strahan, the park can be accessed via a cruise on the Gordon River. Those intending to raft the Franklin River can access it from the Collingwood River, 49 kilometres (30 miles) west of Derwent Bridge, on the Lyell Highway. However, most people only do this as part of a guided rafting tour.

• National parks and reserves
• Preparing to walk in the outdoors
• Park entry fees
• Notes for rafting the Franklin River
• Notes for boating on the Gordon River

• Phone: (03) 6471 7122
  Fax: (03) 6471 7326

• West Coast Visitor Information and Booking Centre
  The Esplanade, Strahan
  Phone: (03) 6471 7622
  Email: wcvibcs@westcoast.tas.gov.au