8 Weeks in Tassie - part 3

Port Arthur arouses strong feelings in most Australians; for all sorts of reasons.  It’s a place where history, old and new, is clouded with hardship and evil.  We were planning to spend three days on the Tasman Peninsula; the main reason being to visit the Port Arthur Historic site.

But there’s alot more to the area than that.  We left Triabunna and travelled the 100 or so kilometres to Port Arthur, via Sorrell.  There were a few low-cost options for camping on the peninsula, but we thought we’d take the opportunity to head to a caravan park with some power and water and get the mountain of washing done while we were there.  So we booked into the caravan park at Port Arthur and I don’t think I’ve ever stayed in such a nice park.  We were pleased with our decision.

We headed off that afternoon to visit the north area of the Peninsula, around Eaglehawk Neck.  Here you’ll find the natural wonders of the Tesselated Pavement, the Tasman Arch and the Devil’s Kitchen - all rock formations and sea caves.  And the blow-hole that didn’t blow, but more kind of puffed!!  We spent a great afternoon visiting them all, walking in and around and appreciating the amazing scenery around the rocky coastline.  

The spectacular Tasman Peninsula coastline

The Blowhole (Puffhole???)

The Tasman Arch

Tesselated Pavement (Doug poses for photos reluctantly)

We also took in the Dog Line site at the end of the “neck” but, until we’d visited the Port Arthur site the following day, we had no real understanding of the horror surrounding the dog line.  The Tasman Peninsula is separated from the Forestier Peninsula (and the rest of Tasmania) by a narrow isthmus, only 100m wide.  In the days of the penal colony, the authorities had hungry dogs chained all across the “neck” so that if any prisoners who escaped happened to make it through the thick bush as far as that, they were driven back by the dogs (or into the water with the sharks).

To add a bit of silliness to the afternoon, we had a drive through Doo Town. Doo Town is a little community of houses all with names, and all the names end in “Doo” or “Do” or “Du”.  Some are quite clever, and some are a bit of a stretch.  But it was fun to spot them all.  The question arises though; what if you bought a house and didn’t want to name it in a “Do” word.  Would you be shunned?  Excluded from local society??  Or would you just have to “Make Do”!!

Steps down to the Remarkable Cave

It's pretty remarkable.

We had a big day planned for Tuesday, with day one of our visit to the Port Arthur site.  We knew it got really busy, so planned to be there early to hopefully get a jump on the crowds.  It also meant we could park the car close to the entrance, making returning for lunch etc much easier.  We were there for the doors opening at 9am, and decided to include optional tours of the Isle of the Dead and Point Peur (the boys prison) to our admission tickets.  So all up, the cost of $69 each for two consecutive days visits seemed really good value.

Chilly on the harbour cruise in the morning

Port Arthur historic site

Isle of the Dead - the cemetery for Port Arthur

If you were a citizen (not a convict) you got a headstone

Included in the entrance cost was a guided walking tour and a boat tour of the harbour.  We were really impressed with both of these, but the extra tours we did to the outlying parts of the site were exceptional.  The whole site is World Heritage listed and as such, supported by funding, and they have recently opened a very new, slick visitors centre, and they really do manage things very well.  The crowds are funnelled in varying directions over the 100 acre area, meaning that there’s never too many people in one place at one time.  And the guides we had on all three of our tours were knowledgeable and friendly and made the tours very interesting.  We were very impressed with the whole experience.

After our guided tours we were free to wander and experience things at our leisure.  We found the place absolutely fascinating and were amongst the last stragglers to leave at 4.45pm.  We were foot-sore and weary but had had a great day.  We hadn’t seen everything there was to see so planned to head back the next day.  It was great to be able to have a fire at our campsite, particularly since the temperature at night was a lot chillier than we had been used to lately.

We were there again for opening on Wednesday and managed to finish the last of the buildings and areas we hadn’t made it to the day before.  The most disturbing for me was a place called the Separate Prison.  Port Arthur housed the worst offenders from the transported convicts.  The initial model for the Port Arthur prison was based on the theory of grinding the worst offenders into honest men - a harsh regime of separation, physical punishment with religious instruction thrown in for good measure.  But the Separate Prison moved away from physical punishment and towards psychological punishment.

Under this “silent system” prisoners were kept apart from each other, were not allowed to speak and if they were in common areas, were hooded so no form of eye contact or recognition could be made.  The guards didn’t speak, using their own system of gestures to communicate.  It was a system which drove many of the inmates “mad”, developing mental illnesses from the lack of light and sound.  It was a barbaric place.

Even in chapel the prisoners were kept separate

The cells of the Separate Prison

Our last place to visit was the garden of remembrance, built to commemorate those killed in 1996.  For those who don’t know, the Port Arthur Historic Site and surrounding area was the scene of the largest mass shooting in modern Australian history in April 1996.  A lone gunman shot and killed 35 people and wounded many more.  It was a very poignant garden and a place of calm contemplation of the horrors that unfolded on that day.

Cells built into the hillside at the Coal Mines site

We finished our second day at Port Arthur at lunchtime and we had the afternoon to spend seeing what else was on this lovely peninsula.  Our first point of call was the McHenry Distillery.  Their operations are located up a gravel road in the hills but once there, we spent some time enjoying their boutique gins and Doug tried their single malt whisky.  We came away with a bottle of classic gin, but not the whisky - $280 a bottle is a bit steep.

We drove up to Lime Bay at the north-east corner and visited the historic convict coal mine site.  Another World Heritage site, but not as well preserved as Port Arthur.  We were still able to wander around to get an understanding of the harsh lives led by the inmates here.  This was where the very worst of the inmates from Port Arthur were sent to work in the coal mines if they didn’t behave.  What went on in this place was unimaginable.  Our time on the Tasman Peninsula was coming to an end, but one last camp fire was a good way to finish.

From Port Arthur, we made the short (100km) drive to Hobart and arrived and set up at the Hobart Showgrounds.  We’d read mixed reviews of this place and yes, it’s a bit of a ramshackle place in need of some serious money spent on it, but then again, it’s 8km from the CBD with a bus route right outside and it’s a reasonable price.  We got a spot on the oval with nice grass underfoot and were quite happy with our choice.  We based ourselves here for a week and set about seeing all that Hobart had to offer - well as much as we could anyway.

Hobart is a beautiful city, clinging to the hills that descend each side of the Derwent River.  It’s a long, narrow city and you’d be forgiven for thinking that every house in town had a view of the river as they’re all built on the sides of a hill.  The old part of town is convict era stone and we loved exploring the old areas around the docks and up through Salamanca Place and Battery Point.  

Salamanca Market is a must-do for any visitor to Hobart and we enjoyed it, even though it was raining.  We’d donned our 10 year old waterproof jackets and headed off into town, but I guess waterproof jackets are only waterproof for so long.  Before too long we were soaked through, cold and miserable.  How handy that there was a Kathmandu store right there and they were having a sale on rain wear!!!  Out we came with two new jackets and feeling much happier.

We took a drive down to a little village called Snug and had a walk down to Snug Falls.  Then we drove up to the top of Mount Wellington, which dominates the skyline of Hobart.  From leaving Snug to arriving at the top of the mountain the temperature dropped 12 degrees (it was 4 degrees at the summit).  There were wonderful views of the Derwent River to be had from the lookout, but the cloud was rolling over the top of the mountain and we had to be quick.

Snug Falls

The view from Mt Wellington - if we looked hard enough we could see our van

Doug was having trouble locking the car when we parked up at the summit (he has ongoing arguments with my car and it’s electronic ignition and locking system).  Neither of us could understand what was going on, but assumed that the key fob needed a new battery.  There were quite a few people around so we didn’t want to go off and leave the car unlocked, so we took it in turns to explore while one stayed with the car.  While I was at the lookout I read a sign about how the close proximity to the radio and TV masts may have an effect on your car remote.  Ahhhh!!!!! Crisis averted.  

There’s so much to do in Hobart we easily managed to fill our days.  We took at trip to the famous (of infamous) Museum of Old and New Art (MONA).  Again the subject of much debate - “What is art anyway”.   We loved it.  We spent a whole day there as there was so much to see.  The buildings themselves are phenomenal; we enjoyed a great lunch and ended the day with a glass of wine and a beer in the winebar.  

Cable tie dinosaur

Light tunnel

Parking meters (art???)

71 plaster casts of ladies bits

Sculptures in the grounds

We also explored the historic Cascades Womens Factory, another World Heritage convict site.  Unfortunately there’s not much left of the old buildings now, but they’ve preserved what they can, restored what they can and added interpretive structures to give you a feel of what was once there.  It’s really well done.  And just up the road is the Cascades Brewery - the oldest brewery in Australia.  We chose not to do a tour, having already toured the Boags Brewery in Launceston, but we did have a wander through their beautiful gardens and enjoyed a great lunch (best meal of the trip so far) and beer/cider tastings.  

Entrance to the Womens Factory

Use your imagination

The first names of all the inmates were inscribed on the seating all round the yard.  We couldn't find an Ethel but we found a Charlotte

We took a drive up the Derwent Valley another day, through the lovely (and sometimes dying) small towns along the way.  We stopped at Dysart, at the Redlands Distillery, where a Scotsman from Glasgow tried all his patter to try and get us to part with $250 for a bottle of whisky.  I don’t think so.  But the coffee and scones were good.  

Redlands Distillery

We also stopped to explore Oatlands, a wonderful old town full of Georgian stone buildings and a beautifully restored and working windmill.  It was fascinating to have a chat with the miller while he was on his lunch break and learn all about the process and how he works closely with the farmers to produce specific wheat for flour.  Who knew there was so much involved in getting the flour exactly right - so next time you hand over $7 or $8 for your artisan sourdough loaf, you’ll know why.

Callington Mill in Oatlands

From Oatlands we took the winding, narrow little back roads back down to Richmond.  Everyone raves about Richmond, and okay, it’s lovely, but it’s very touristy.  We arrived just as the hundred of so passengers were being herded back on the buses.  It’s got a wonderful old bridge to admire, and more convict buildings but I liken it to Sassafras in the Dandenong Ranges, very busy and a bit staged.  We did like, however, the Wicked Chesse Company.  We stopped in for a taste and came away with a delicious triple cream brie and a chilli camembert.  Lovely!!

Richmond Bridge

Hobart was great.  We really enjoyed our time there.  If I’m honest though, I think I prefer Launceston if I was picking my city to live in.  We were ready for the next adventure, and were excited to be heading down to Bruny Island.  Lots more to come!!!