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Published: February 16th 2007
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After leaving Hobart we headed down the 'Convict Trail' touring route to Port Arthur.
On the way stopped at the 'tesselated pavement' just before the Eagles neck (100m wide stretch of land that attaches the Tasman peninsula to the rest of the island). Carmen - there is the ideal job waiting for you here! On the rocks at the shore there was a park ranger who's job was to find / identify all kinds of weird little bits of marine life for us tourists. Pam and I got to see a decorater crab and managed to find our very own hermit crab amongst all the starfish, anenomes etc. Also saw a seagul get washed off a rock by a wave. For me this was the highlight but I've still got some pretty strong feelings about aussie seaguls.
Also on the way to Port Arthur saw the strangest sand beach. For about 100m out from the road this beach had alternating bands of sand and water about 1 or 2m wide each. No idea what makes it this way but incredible to look at!
Port Arthur was the largest convict settlement in Tassie at it's height around the 1850's
Hermit Crab
On the way to Port Arthur... and figures to have played a large part in the origins of social welfare and the prison system in Australia to this day if you'd believe the guides. Either way it's a very neat place. Quite a few ruins of stone buildings. Neat that all the construction is of sandstone (super soft rock). The parks people have restored a few of the wooden buildings (comandants house, Medical officers house, priests house etc) but unfortunately most of it was burnt to the ground in a pair of bush fires in the 1890's. After the settlement was closed (1877) the aussies in their hurry to put the convict past behind them demolished many of the stone buildings also or left some of them partially demolished as a tourist attraction.
From Port Arthur up to Tribuanna on the East coast that night. Great hostel at Tribuanna, wonderful old lady that runs the place who even brings biscuits out to everyone in the evening!
Next day carried on up to St Helens on the northeast corner of Tassie. On the way stopped at Swansea for breakfast and at Coles Bay to have a look at the Scenery. I wasn't feeling so hot
this day so we decided not to make the trek over to wineglass bay in the park by Coles Bay.
At St. Helens went out to the Bay of Fires in the evening. In the one stretch of road along the bay we saw about 6 kangaroos! Live ones! This may not seem like alot but honestly Australia has more road kill then I've ever seen in my life before. There are stretches where you probably 1km without being out of sight of dead critters! Bay of Fires is very scenic with incredibly white beaches and lots of lagoons.
Last day in Tassie we travelled from St Helens to Devonport to catch the Spirit of Tasmania II back to Melbourne. On the road went what was definately the long way via Scottsdale, Bridport and Launceston. Just before Scottsdale took what we thought was going to be a road but turned out to be a little gravel track up Mt Victoria to see Ralph's Falls. Not a very exciting waterfall by Niagra / Hemlecken or even Shannon falls standards but amazing views from up that high. Othern that that great beach at Bridport and cool little ravine (believe they
Convict Church @ Port Arthur
The prisoners and free people would all congregate in this church for sermons. call it the Cascade gorge) complete with swimming pools, suspension bridge and chairlift at Launceston.
The ferry to Melbourne was pretty cool but I think that since she's the ferry girl I'm going to get Pam to tell you all about it. Pam...?
Alright. Well, Mike was more excited about taking the Ferry than I was for sure... He thought we'd see some huge waves over the Bass Strait, but it was a calm night. In all the ride was 10 hours averaging about 24 knots.
The Spirit of Tasmania II was a behemoth. The Spirits at home are the biggest vessels I've been on, so the Spirit of Tassie seemed huge. There are 10 Levels on the Ferry. The Spirit Class at home (between Vic and Tsawassen) only have 7. On the main passanger level there were 2 bars, one resturant, cafeteria services, gift shop, slots, internet, economy class seats and cabins. Level 8 was full of Cabins and Buisness Class Seats. Level 9 had yet another bar, arcade and seating. Level 10 had more seating, another bar (which wasn't open), and apparently there is also another bar on the outside deck outside as well. Unlike
View of Port Arthur
Such an amazing place. Here's a picture of the watch tower and prison. at home, the food and drink there weren't overpriced.
We had economy class seats, which is pretty much means you get a blanket, airport pillow and airport seats. All over the vessel there are signs saying not too fall asleep anywhere but in your assigned seat (there was an announcement too). All the economy class passengers were sleeping everywhere though. Mike and I slept on the 9th Level on some long comfy seating. We were woken up at 6.10 by an announcement that we'd be docking soon. We headed to the stern where we watched the sunrise behind Melbourne. Beautiful!
So here we are now... We needed to kill some time before we can check into the hostel (and it's not much fun carrying around 18kg packs on your back!) Tomorrow we leave for NZ and will be spending 3 weeks there.
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Carmen
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you looked good in convict land
Hey there, looks like you are having some fun. Finally looked at all your entries... they are great. Cool you got to go flying that day! The sea creatures are soooo cute. So are the kangaroos... did that one really bit you in the video clip? Have fun!