Lots more to come later.

In the last few days we have had two paranormal experiences.

The first was after our ghost tour with Jan and Brian on Thursday night. The tour was quite atmospheric with intriguing stories of murders, unexplained deaths, apparitions, mysterious lights and the sound of footsteps on stairs. Enough to get the imagination going.

We were in our cabin, in bed, Paul drifting off to sleep and Barbara reading, when there was the sound of heavy footsteps on the ramp up to our cabin door. Paul hid under the blankets and eventually Barbara plucked up the courage to peak out the windows. She thought she saw something /someone dressed in blue with white hair. But then whatever it was disappeared.

The second was this morning in our Hobart hotel. Paul was downstairs on the internet and Barbara was reading in bed (again). Suddenly the tv came on, it flicked through about a dozen channels, the volume adjusted up and down, and it finally settled on a weather forecast.

Coincidentally this was the very same room Brian was in exactly 3 weeks ago.

Strange or what??!!

That was the mission of the Port Arthur penal settlement. We spent 3 hours there on Wednesday and 9 on Thursday – 7 during the day and 2 at night. We won’t try and tell you the history which most people know something of anyway.

Just a few of our thoughts on the whole experience:

It is an amazingly beautiful setting. Everyone says what a lovely piece of paradise, how could even convicts not like being here. To walk around the sheltered harbour, up the tree lined avenues, in the Government Gardens with the dozens of species of mature english trees, shrubs and flowers is a pleasure.

It is a very big site so even thousands of people get very dispersed and it doesn’t feel crowded.

There is a stark contrast between the grandness of the Commandant’s house and the solitary cells of the convicts.

The “live” theatre performances are excellent and create great atmosphere.

30+ buildings ranging from ruins to furnished houses.

The orientation walking tour was a good introduction to what Port Arthur was all about and its context.

Just enough interpretive material to keep you interested without information overload.

A good variety of stories told: the convicts, the civilians, the military,  the clergy, the children. Very little on the aborigine.

The stories told with respect and not with exploitation or sensationalism.

It was put in a larger context of penal reform (the change from physical punishment,  flogging, to psychological punishment, isolation), rebellions in Ireland and Canada, social attitudes in the 19th century, the class system, etc.

Being able to pick and eat the different types of apples in the orchard.

The boat trip was okay if you were going to Point Puer Boys’ Prison or the Isle of the Dead but otherwise not really necessary.

The realisation this was a huge operation. Not just a prison but a commercial operation of timber collecting, ship building, forgers, black smiths, white smiths, coopers, boot makers, clothes makers, flour mill etc, not just for the prison but for colonial Australia.

It was not just about punishment by hard labour but also rehabilitation through religious indoctrination, education and training in useful skills.

It is a work in progress with ongoing archaeological work and the restoration and conservation of buildings and infrastructure.

A first class interpretive centre.

The Ghost Tour was pitched at just about the right level. Atmosphere created by story telling and not kitsch effects or stunts. Just seeing the place at night by the light of a flickering lantern was good enough.

The story after the prison closed in 1877. The name change to Carnarvon, the fires, the sale and subdivision, the growth of the tourist trade.

Good food and clean toilets!!!!!!

A cruisey day today with not far to go,  about 100km. Stopped in Sorell and used the free wifi at Banjo’s cafe and bakery to upload some photos and read emails.  Have had no internet for about five days now.

From Sorell drove out onto the Tasman Peninsula, over the man made Denison Canal and had a look at the Tessellated Pavement near Eaglehawk Neck. The pavement is a rock landform of horizontal rectangular patterns caused by fractures in the surface and the wetting and drying action of salts. A rectangular version of the hexagonal Giant’s Causeway in Ireland.

We were far too early for check-in at the Big 4 Port Arthur Holiday Park so went to check out how the parking,  entry etc worked at the historic site. Our booking was good for two days and before we knew it we were ticketed in, had our identity lanyards and were reserved on a 1.30pm 40min. introductory walking tour and a 20min boat harbour cruise at 3pm. We used this to get a feel for the place, which is huge with over 30 buildings, and will come back and look in more detail tomorrow.

The weather wasn’t good, a strong, cold wind and frequent heavy showers with bright sunshine in between. About half the thousands of visitors were clad in blue $5 throwaway ponchos.  We also took in a “live” theatre performance in the penitentiary which was excellent. After the boat ride we were both cold and a bit wet so went and checked into our little cabin. We found Jan and Brian who are also staying here – glamping! They are in what is called a Safari Tent, really quite cool compared to our basic cabin. The tent has a solid floor and solid walls around the bathroom but the rest including all the roof is canvas, and very fancy at that. It has kitchen appliances inside but the sink and a bbq are outside on the deck.

Even though Port Arthur has thousands of visitors each day there is very little accommodation and few eating places. It is only 90mins from Hobart and the vast majority of people are day trippers. After driving around with Brian and Jan for a bit the only place we could find for a meal was the restaurant /cafeteria at the historic site visitors’ centre. The restaurant was fully booked so it was fish and chips and a glass of wine in the caf. 

Managed to get a little internet before we used up our (meagre) allocation. Tonight it is very windy, a bit rainy and friggin cold. There is a heat pump in the cabin but it is only programmed to cool and no other heating. Still we have electric blankets – ah,  Tasmania in the summer!