One place that you absolutely must visit while in Tasmania is the Port Arthur Historic Site. Even if you're not a History Fanatic, you'll find this place to be quite interesting, and sobering. A lot of people have jokingly asked me if I enjoy dating a criminal, since Australia's early colonists were actually ex-convicts from Europe. That joke carries a lot more weight that I originally imagined, as I found out the harsh, unforgiving lifestyles that these convicts often lived when they made their way "down under."
Going to such a place was a little unsettling, because the site had a slightly eerie feel to it, and was also quite vast which made it hard to decide where to begin. Luckily, Port Arthur offers introductory tours throughout the day, as well as a boat tour to help you gain some much needed background and history. These two tours are included in the price of your ticket (which I personally think is very reasonable for all the services and access you receive). Your ticket also grants you two days of admission to the site which I suggest you take full advantage of, because taking in the history of a former colonial prison gets to be very exhausting on the brain.
Not to mention, being outside means you have the weather to contend with. While Ethan and I were at Port Arthur on the first day, the rain and hail were playing games with everyone, so we spent the afternoon sprinting to buildings that still had roofs on them while trying to avoid being blown away by the wind. I will admit that the wind almost blew me away, but I managed to hold my ground at the last moment. That being said, Ethan and I managed to view the majority of the grounds. We checked out the asylum (which was unnerving, but also very intriguing to explore); the penitentiary (which I had problems pronouncing); and both gift shops (which had lovely souvenirs pertaining to the historic site and other parts of Tasmania).
We left close to dinner time so we could layer up for the ghost tour we purchased at an additional cost. The first tour took place as soon as the sun set, which is the one we bought tickets for so we had time to wind down at our accommodation (and attempt to forget about the scary stories we heard) before we went to sleep. Now, I didn't think we would see a ghost, but I made sure not to completely disregard the prospect of it happening so that I'd be less surprised if I saw an old, white figure staring at me through a dark window. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on if you like interacting with the dead or not), neither Ethan or I saw a ghost. However, we did enjoy some slightly frightening, but informative stories about experiences of past ghost tour participants and site employees. We also learned some additional information about the history of Port Arthur and got to view some areas of the grounds that were locked up during the day! Overall, I would definitely recommend going on a ghost tour, since it allows you to experience in a very different way than you would while the sun is in the sky.
On our second day of access, we only spent a few hours onsite. There were a few houses we missed in our haste to put on better walking shoes, and find dinner before our tour. A major building we didn't get a chance to see during the day was the church. It was missing the roof and all its innards due to the years it was not properly cared for. However, it was still beautiful in its own right.
Before we left for home, we stopped at "The Magistrate's House" which is now a lovely café that serves mouth watering carrot cake, and sticky date pudding! If you have a chance to stop here for a bite to while you're onsite, you definitely should. This house not only offers great food. It also has some breathtaking views of the site, and is a couple minutes walk from the former asylum (can you imagine living that close to such a disturbing building back in the day? YIKES!).
Once we finished our cakes, we headed back to the car and stopped at the Tessellated Pavement before embarking on our drive back to Devonport. Our drive included constant snacking, and jamming out to some punk songs that were popular in middle school. We were home in time for dinner, and celebrated Ethan's birthday quietly with some spaghetti and garlic bread. Shortly after, we drifted off to sleep before we had the chance to put on a movie.
FURTHER INFORMATION:
- to find out more about the Port Arthur Historic Site, click here.
- If you're looking to book accommodation, I highly suggest taking a look on Booking.com. They have a plethora of reasonably priced hotels, motels, etc. for you to choose from for almost any destination. If you follow this link, I receive a small commission when you sign up and make a booking. You also earn $25 to put towards a booking! Thank you kindly if you use my link!
Wishing you the safest and smoothest of travels,
Jana