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Published: March 9th 2007
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Port Arthur Ruins
One of the tour groups that we managed to avoid. The tour guide gives a very interesting history lesson. Day Seven of Fifteen:
Morning with the Convicts It was still dark when we woke this morning and for some reason I had a look outside and noticed a small black object on the grassed area below the window. I retrieved the video camera turned on the night vision button and the small object became two small wallabies eating and playing. We watched them for a while on the LCD screen until they left when it became lighter.
The skies were still overcast but not raining. Today was going to be the last chance for us to see what I had planned for yesterday and also the Port Arthur Convict Ruins.
We were outside the main entrance half an hour after it had opened. There were a few people already taking advantage of the displays in the centre, we chose to pass these and headed out to the ruins. It was my girlfriend's first time here but my third, over the years the attraction has improved and many of the places that you couldn't visit in the past have been made safe and there appeared much more to see.
We got some good shots of the main building before it
was contaminated with the large tours being conducted by the staff. On an earlier visit I found these tours very informative but it doesn't beat (in my opinion) wandering through the ruins taking in the atmosphere of what was a very hard place to be incarcerated.
As the time went by more tourists arrived but the ruins are scattered over such a wide area it didn't seem crowded (except in the tour groups). In all of the video and still shots I managed to get shots that appeared as if we were the only ones there.
At the end of our two hour walk we had seen all that interested us. As a parting gesture we stole a couple of pears from the one of the trees - an act that two hundred years ago would have had the culprit transported to Van Demons Land for a period of ten years.
Remarkable Cave was down the southern end of the Peninsula. We followed a walkway down to a viewing platform. Part of which had been closed off because of a recent storm. If you stretched out far enough you could see through the cave, on the far side an opening
Port Arthur Ruins
Overcast day, perfect weather for such a infamous past. in the shape of Tasmania with the open sea beyond. During rough weather it would be a dangerous place to be.
Before leaving for Hobart we also visited The Devils Kitchen, Tasman Arch and a lookout that gave a commanding view of Dolomite rocks jutting out of the sea.
It took a couple of hours to reach the outskirts of Tasmania's capital city. Following the map we turned off Highway One. It took nearly an extra hour to find the Bowen Park Cosy Cabins. Our problems started when we were checking the map and with telescopic sight on the road ahead we went right past the entrance, followed the road towards Bowen Park which turned out to be an aboriginal sacred site. Back on the road we finished up on the wrong side of the Bowen Bridge, realised that was wrong we drove back and finished down a back road that overlooked a huge factory on the banks of the Derwent. I asked directions from the driver of a school bus and my understanding of his directions found us on the other side of the Derwent River at another cabin park and we got instructions again. Back across the bridge
Port Arthur Ruins
Inside one of the buildings. and found our well signed posted accommodation.
After unpacking our gear we went in search of a supermarket that was close by. We had a cooked meal in the cabin that night and watched TV for the rest of the evening.
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