MV George Robinson is a beautiful old steel-hulled vessel fitted out with Tasmanian timber and brass. Affectionately known as “The Red Boat”, it has been plying the Arthur River for 33 years.

We depart daily at 10 am from the Arthur River township, returning at 3 pm.

Passengers are able to move freely around the vessel, including the front and rear viewing decks which allow opportunities for stunning photographs. Having the helm located in the main passenger lounge invites free-flowing discussion with the Skipper and also promotes a relaxed and jovial atmosphere.

Enjoy the serenity of the river and the unhurried pace of the MV George Robinson. Be spellbound by the magical reflections of the lush vegetation in the tannin coloured river. Drink in the pristine densely forested river banks of myrtles, blackwoods, leatherwoods, sassafras, silver wattles and endangered Brooker’s gums. At Turk’s Landing, gaze up at the giant brown top stringybark (Tassie Oak) and marvel at the ancient giant tree ferns.

Find us

Arthur River is in Tasmania’s far northwest, it is approximately:

• 1 hour by road from Smithton
• 70 minutes from Stanley

The road is sealed all the way and there is plenty of parking.

About the region

The small settlement of Arthur River is named after the river and is home to fewer than 40 permanent residents. Located on Tasmania’s rugged west coast, Arthur River lies at the mouth of Tasmania’s only major river which is completely wild; a river in the heart of the Tarkine Wilderness which has never been logged or dammed; a river where one of the world’s largest tract of cool temperate rainforest drains into the mighty Southern Ocean.

Centuries-old forest giants of brown top stringybark, blackwood, myrtle, leatherwood, and sassafras have become the foundation of coastal dunes and lay buried in the sand for thousands of years. The reason this place is called “The Edge of the World” is because the battered coastline and isolated river mouth lie 15,000km from the next land mass which is Patagonia, the south-east coast of Argentina.

Only a small percentage of tourists who come to Tasmania make the effort to visit Arthur River, and those who do have the unique opportunity to drive to this wild and windy vantage point to experience the “Roaring Forties”, the swells of the Great Southern Ocean and the resulting waves which pound the rugged rocks. Here tree trunks have been heaved ashore as if they were twigs. Miles of beaches north and south of Arthur River are littered with these ancient logs.

Just over 30 years ago a local bushman named Turk Porteus recognized the value of the untouched Arthur River for a unique river cruise. Turk built a boat from scratch in his backyard, then leased a cool temperate rainforest landing deep within the Tarkine Wilderness.  And so in 1985, the iconic Arthur River Cruises was created. Today visitors can cruise the pristine Arthur River on the same boat, and enjoy a BBQ lunch at the same landing.  ARTHUR RIVER CRUISES  is truly Tasmanian – in all its pioneering history, wilderness, and relaxed welcoming atmosphere.

For fishing enthusiasts, the Arthur River offers trout, salmon and blackfish when in season.