South on the Tasman Peninsula

Stewart and Max joined us today to show us the sights of the northern Tasman Peninsula. They would leave us after lunch while we stayed to tour Port Arthur and camp overnight on the peninsula.

I hadn’t realised how far out of town Hobart Airport was. However, the final approach to the runway has the planes just overhead of the highway and Virgin treated us to a show as a jet crossed just in front of us then touched down as we passed. Also along the way was a lot of evidence from the bushfires last summer around Dunally with all of the surviving trees now sprouting an all-over fuzz to generate some new life.

First stop was the Tessellated Pavement, a formation on the beach just above the water while we were there. Forces of erosion have cracked the beds of sandstone in roughly parallel faults, and again at near right-angles to give the impression of a tiled pavement. That, together with the shoreline life provided the photographic interest.

From there it is a short crossing of Eaglehawk Neck, through Dootown and up to the Devil’s Kitchen, the Tasman Arch and the Blowhole. All products of the weathering and erosion of the rocks by the sea, these formations provide dramatic cuts into the cliffs where the waves continue to batter their way through.

Onward to our first convict era site. The Coal Mines are at the north end of the Tasman Peninsula and is the location of an extensive development aimed at extracting coal for the new settlements. Being penal in origin, the buildings were extensive, built to last, and included punishment cells, accommodation, chapel, hospital and officer quarters. Coal mining was initially at the surface, but proceeded underground and some quite elaborate shafts were sunk to aid extraction.

From there the aim was to see Remarkable Cave, but we elected to go straight to Port Arthur so we could enter before closing time and take advantage of the extended summer browsing time. The day had warmed up and cleared quite beautifully and an entry ticket is valid for two consecutive days and includes a brief harbour cruise. Conditions in the afternoon were close to perfect.

Port Arthur existed as a penal settlement from the 1830s to the 1870s, by which stage it was dealing with lunatics (largely the product of the penal system) and paupers (similarly caused) as much as convicts. There were as many as 200 buildings on the 100 acre site at the height of activity, but following abandonment in 1877, much was sold off, repurposed, salvaged for scrap or neglected. Much of what was left was destroyed in two major bushfires in the late 1890s. Conservation was not considered until decades later and activity to investigate and preserve what remains continue today.

Much more of the site is available for visitors than I remember from 20 years ago. There is also a poignant, if somewhat understated memorial to the more recent horrific events of the 1990s. We’ve only begin to scratch the surface and will head back tomorrow to see more.

The plan for overnight was Fortescue Bay about 20km from Port Arthur. Unfortunately a rather unfriendly road closed sign put us off, so we have wound up back beyond Coal Mines in a state reserve, which could easily be Boganville, with hundreds of our newest friends. A sign indicating activities on the peninsula suggests the Fortescue Road must be open, so perhaps we missed out there. Never mind.