The Gordon River is as beautifully remote as one could hope a river would be. Beginning in the highlands of the central plateau that dominates inland Tasmania, the riverbank is devoid of any residents along its 117-mile path. Instead, the entire length of this tea-colored river is part of the Tasmanian World Heritage Wilderness Area, a forested expanse of raw wilderness found on the western side of the island. Many of the trees set along this riverbank are nearly 2,000 years old, and as if the beauty couldn’t get any more stunning, the rolling profile of the surrounding hills is often reflected in the river waters.

When visiting Strahan on Tasmania’s west coast, one of the most popular activities is to spend a day on a Gordon River cruise. Plying the waters of the lower reaches of the river, it’s easy to imagine what it must have been like in the early 1800s, when the nearby prison at Sarah Island housed some of Australia’s most fearsome convicts. Today, however, the Gordon River is as placid and peaceful as the leaves that drift on its waters, and it’s a natural resource that fortifies the beauty of the western Tasmanian coastline.