Since at least the mid 1980s, the wake from tourist cruise boats has caused erosion of the formerly stable to depositional banks of the lower Gordon River within the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. Speed and access restrictions on the operation of commercial cruise vessels have considerably slowed, but not halted erosion of the now destabilised banks.
Two forms of monitoring are being undertaken - see the following PDFs:
Lower Gordon River erosion monitoring report, February 2004 to March 2013 (6Mb)
Lower Gordon River erosion monitoring report, March 2013 to December 2015 (459Kb)
Lower Gordon River erosion monitoring report, December 2015 to December 2016 (673Kb)
Lower Gordon River erosion monitoring December 2016 to February 2018 (650Kb)
Lower Gordon River Erosion Monitoring Report - Final March 2019 (878Kb)
Lower Gordon River erosion monitoring report, December 2018 to January 2020 (557Kb)
Lower Gordon River monitoring report December 2020 (1Mb)
Lower Gordon River Erosion Monitoring 2021 (PDF 2Mb)
Lower Gordon erosion monitoring 2023 (PDF 3Mb)
Measuring cruise boat wave wake
and impact, Tuan Gaby Flats
Download a copy of:
Lower Gordon River erosion – history and lessons learned
(510Kb)
Further description of the area, the problem and management prescriptions is available in the
Lower Gordon River Recreation Zone Plan.