Tasman Peninsular, Port Arthur

I really love Port Arthur. This might seem to be a surprising view of what Garry calls 'a place of dread', but it is very beautiful. 

The caravan park, up on the hill above the water is spacious and very easy with drive through ensuite sites, with heaps of room.  We also had great weather, during the 'heat wave' so I was happy with two days of 25 degrees.

We spent five days on the peninsular - and used our 2 day ticket to the Port Arthur Historic Site very fully. I was still coughing so we took the first day gently, just wandering about the site and going on the cruise to the Isle of the Dead and Point Puer tours.  Point Puer is the site of first boys' prison and it was amazing to think of 800 boys learning trades, and smoking and gambling on the quiet point.

The second Port Arthur day was very busy as we traipsed about everywhere completing Ben's kids' activity sheet, and learning a lot in the process. 

That night we went on the fabulous ghost tour, which was Ben's first experience of wandering around ruins in the dark with an expert guide telling very creepy ghost stories.  The lights in the church tower kept going on and off randomly, which the guide assured us was not being done by the guides and that a figure was often seen in the upper window, where there is no floor.  Hmmm. Naturally we all kept watching for the lights to go out, but no figure was sighted.  It was a great tour and very well done.

We also went to the Coal Mines - another convict punishment site, apparently more brutal than Port Arthur.  This one is free to wander around,  and eerily deserted.

The dog-line across Eaglehawk Neck is also worth visiting, with a very old, convict built building open for people to wander through and a statue of one of the dogs at his station.

The natural beauty of the peninsular should not be forgotten.  We visited Remarkable Cave, the Tasman Arch, Devils Kitchen and the blow hole (which wasn't blowing). 

Devil's Kitchen

Tasman Arch

Remarkable Cave

Near Remarkable Cave