We continue the 2017 “Great Southern Land” ARB Variety 4WD Explorer off-road adventure, that raises money for Variety the Children’s Charity to help kids with special needs. Day five centres around the historic west coast town of Strahan, including a visit to the remains of the notorious Sarah Island convict settlement, and a cruise along the Gordon River.
The road is steep and windy through Queenstown and southwest towards Hobart. Along the way, the talking point is an amazing waterpipe from the 1930s that is built of King William Pine. Quite a feat of engineering!
There’s time during the Hobart stay to visit historic Port Arthur. In the forest on the other side of the city is Tahune Airwalk, with its amazing suspended walkway in the treetops.
There’s a lovely coastal run before a barge crossing to Bruny Island. The island visit features photo opportunities at postcard-perfect views, and a menu featuring local seafood and other homegrown produce.
From Bruny Island, it’s on to another idyllic destination, the Freycinet Peninsula. An ocean-going cruise there takes the Explorers into Wineglass Bay, which rivals the best of Australia’s tropical beaches.
Finally, the Explorer expedition has more or less circled Tasmania, to arrive back on the north coast. Outside Bridport, there’s one more beach run on a difficult track through very soft sand dunes. The reward is some of the best views of the trip.
After a year and ten days of rattling the can, all the Explorers pass through the finishing archway at the end of an incredible journey. So what is the final tally? This amazing group raises $290 000 to help give more Aussie kids a fair go. If you want to be the first to know about the next Variety 4WD Explorer, you can join the adventure and be a hero to Aussie kids in need. Head to variety.org.au or join the Facebook community to stay updated.
