Gordon River Cruise Weather and Seasickness

Expect rain at some point: the Bureau of Meteorology’s Strahan Aerodrome station averages about 1,500 mm a year, with rain on about 180 days. The cruises sail in it, on enclosed catamarans with outside decks. Most of the day is inside Macquarie Harbour and on the Gordon River, which take little ocean swell, because the harbour meets the Southern Ocean only through the narrow, shallow channel at Hells Gates, the one stretch where you may feel the sea. The cruise is Strahan: Gordon River Cruise with Lunch & Sarah Island Walk, from US$116 a person (checked November 2026).

The calendar above is Gordon River Cruises’ morning cruise, with 469 reviews (checked November 2026). The listing allows free cancellation up to 3 days before.

The short answer

Do not wait for a dry day; there may not be one. The weather on the west coast is part of the place, the river’s rainforest is rainforest because of it, and both boats keep you warm and dry between the two walks. If you are prone to seasickness, the part to think about is the run out to Hells Gates; the rest of the day is on sheltered water.

Hells Gates and the harbour

Macquarie Harbour is Tasmania’s largest estuary, more than 290 square kilometres, and its only opening to the sea is Hells Gates, between the tip of the Cape Sorell peninsula and the end of the Ocean Beach spit. A Tasmanian Government survey describes it as a shallow, narrow channel opening onto a high-energy coastline, and notes that the restricted opening lets little ocean swell into the harbour, where the tide rises and falls less than a metre. Tourism Tasmania describes the channel as wild, shallow, dangerous and less than 500 m wide. Both cruises go out to Hells Gates first thing, then cross the harbour to the fish farms, Sarah Island and the river.

Do the cruises sail in bad weather?

Almost always. World Heritage Cruises does not cancel for weather: its catamaran operates in all conditions. A weather cancellation at Gordon River Cruises is very unlikely, though its booking terms let the master change the route or cancel for weather or safety, and if the operator cancels you get a full refund or a new date. Booked through GetYourGuide, Gordon River Cruises’ listing can be cancelled free of charge up to 3 days before, and World Heritage Cruises' up to 2 days before.

Seasickness

Neither operator publishes advice on seasickness. What the geography says: the open-water section is short, both boats are catamarans of about 34 to 35 m, and the harbour and the river are sheltered. If you are prone to it, sit low and in the middle of the main deck for the run to Hells Gates, look at the horizon, and take whatever usually works for you before you sail.

What to wear

At Strahan Aerodrome the mean daily maximum is 21.2 °C in January and 12.4 °C in July, and the mean minimum 11.0 °C and 5.4 °C. February averages 69.7 mm of rain on 9 days, August 180.2 mm on 20 days (Bureau of Meteorology climate averages, read November 2026).

The deck is chilly at speed across the harbour in any month. Bring a waterproof jacket and a warm layer, and sturdy shoes for the boardwalk at Heritage Landing and the paths among the ruins on Sarah Island. Gordon River Cruises’ Premier Upper Deck and World Heritage Cruises' upper deck include morning tea; on the main decks, drinks and snacks are sold at the bar.

Prices, ratings and review counts from the listings (GetYourGuide checked November 2026). Operators price by date and season, so treat the figures as the shape of the market, not a quote.