Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park

Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park covers 4,463 square kilometres of wild river valleys and old-growth forest in western Tasmania. It is the centrepiece of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area and protects two of the last completely wild rivers in the temperate world: the Franklin and the Gordon. The park is accessible by road only along the Lyell Highway between Hobart and Queenstown, which crosses the northern section.

The park's defining moment in public consciousness was the Franklin Dam controversy of 1982 to 1983. The Tasmanian government proposed building a hydroelectric dam on the lower Franklin River, which would have flooded much of the gorge system. The proposal triggered one of the largest environmental campaigns in Australian history, with blockades on the river, mass arrests and a national political crisis. The newly elected Hawke federal government intervened in 1983 using the World Heritage Properties Conservation Act to stop the dam, a legal precedent that reshaped the balance of environmental power between state and federal governments.

The Franklin River itself is one of the premier wilderness rafting journeys in the world. The standard trip takes 8 to 14 days and covers around 125 kilometres from the Collingwood River junction to the Gordon River confluence. Rafters pass through deep gorges, over grade 4 and 5 rapids, and through forests of ancient Huon pine. Huon pine is one of the oldest living organisms on the planet - individual trees can live for over 2,000 years, and stands along the river have been genetically dated to over 10,000 years old.

For visitors who are not undertaking a full river trip, the Lyell Highway provides several road-accessible entry points. The Franklin River Nature Trail, a 25 minute return walk from the highway, descends through rainforest to a viewing platform on the river. The Nelson Falls Nature Trail, nearby on the same road, is a 20 minute return walk to a 30 metre waterfall through myrtle beech and sassafras forest. The Donaghys Hill Wilderness Lookout, a short climb from the Collingwood River bridge, gives a sweeping view across the river valley and surrounding ranges.

Gordon River cruises from Strahan, on the west coast, enter the lower section of the park and offer a gentle introduction to the Huon pine forests and the stillwater reaches of the Gordon. The cruise typically takes half a day and includes stops at Heritage Landing and the convict ruin on Sarah Island in Macquarie Harbour.