The Franklin - Gordon Wild Rivers National Park is located in western
Tasmania, it covers an area of 440,961 ha, and is home to the Franklin, Gordon and Olga Rivers. The Lyell Highway winds through the heart of the national park between
Lake St Clare and
Queenstown. There are several spectacular bushwalks, also available to visitors are activities for the more adventurous traveler, such as canoeing and rafting in white water rapids. For the less physically inclined, several cruises operate along the
Gordon River out of
Strahan on the west coast. Picnic facilities in various scenic locations are also available throughout the park. A fact that international visitors might not necessarily be familiar with is that the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park is said to have been the start for the environmental movement in Australia. In the early 1980’s, there was a plan to build a huge dam upstream which was to be part of the massive
Tasmanian hydroelectric industry. Weeklong protests and demonstrations around Australia resulted in the project being abandoned; the pristine, undisturbed wilderness area was saved and later on, it was named a World Heritage conservation area by
UNESCO.