White Beach, Tasman Peninsula

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3 January 2010

From Hobart, we headed east to the Tasman Peninsula to check out the sights - in particular, the Port Aurthur Historical Site.

We stayed for a night at White Beach in a very civilised camp ground. We would have quite liked to stay for longer but too much to see and too little time!

We explored some of the Tasman Peninsula including Remarkable Cave and Cape Pillar (from a distance).

We spent some time at the Port Arthur Historic Site which was really interesting. We started off in the organised tour but didn't last long (thanks kids!) so took ourselves around and explored the rest. Included in the price (very expensive price at that) was a 20 minute cruise around Port Arthur where we passed The Isle of the Dead and the area where the children convicts were bought - some as young as 9 years old! Definitely pulled at the heart strings hearing some of the stories and trying to understand how tough these people really did it. The winters down there would have been absolutely freezing not to mention the daily life (solitary confinement, etc). Port Arthur is where they took the worst of the worst offenders (offences that would probably receive a slap on the wrist these days...)

Here, we also saw the Port Arthur Massacre site. It was a moving place that definitely stirred the emotions. The cafe has been stripped and only the ruins remain. A large memorial pond amongst other things have been erected and the names of the victims are inscribed in a lovely cross. There are some plaques with the most beautiful readings on them, an overwhelming feeling of sorrow..

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