The Gordon River
A small boat, my brother, and a Huon pine as old as the Pyramids.
| Year | 2018 |
|---|---|
| Boat | A sub-4m RIB with a two-stroke outboard |
| Crew | Me and my brother |
| Route | Across Macquarie Harbour and up the Gordon River, Tasmania |
With a small RIB and a two-stroke outboard, my brother and I crossed Macquarie Harbour and went as far up the Gordon River as we could, camping and exploring along the way.
The wilderness here is like nothing else. It was saved by people who got here, saw what needed protecting and acted, against all odds. A Huon pine grows just 1mm a year, and we stood next to one arching out over the river. How old was it? Perhaps as old as the Pyramids. Not long ago these trees were felled by axe and floated downriver to be sold as boatbuilding timber, their oils making them impervious to rot.
The spans of time here are hard to grasp. This is palawa country. Aboriginal people have lived along these rivers and forests since the last ice age, more than 40,000 years ago, and remain its traditional owners today.
Everything Kohutt makes is built by hand in our Tasmanian workshop, and guaranteed for life with free repairs.
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