Tasman Peninsula

 

Well, it’s been a very busy few days so that’s why I’m a little behind with the posts. Our days have been extremely full and by the end of the day I’m exhausted. You all know that I am terrible at proof reading at the best of times so I wasn’t going to put you through a post I’ve written when I’m really tired, but rest assured I am sure to leave to some fault to find.

After the success of the first day on the road, the second started equally as well. We had a Pennicott Wilderness boat cruise booked for the morning. We had read a lot about this trip so were all excited to see if it lived up to the hype (especially mine and Terry’s).

We were given beautiful red coats to protect us from the wind and spray, given our introduction speech and we were on our way back to Pirate Bay to board the boat.

The boat was an open power boat with a canopy and seated about 40 people. However, the were only about 33 on our tour. We had a fantastic crew of Drew and Will. 

They started the day with the usual safety lesson and then offered us ginger tablets. When they starting joking that they were actually hallucinogenic drugs, we knew we were in for fun day.

Right from the start, the coast line was amazing. At the start of the journey the rock was horizontally layered with dozens of caves, arches and cavities. Some of the rocks looked like the were about to collapse into the water while other remained perfectly level with the water line.

One of the caves was large enough for the boat to enter and it was the weirdest sensation as it felt like the boat was going uphill. The crew didn’t really give an explanation as to why it felt like this.

This cave also had the spectacularly coloured pink lichen which feeds off the algae and because of the purity of the Tasmanian water, it thrives down here. It was at the point when will start with the “Dad” jokes. I’m not sure he is a Dad, yet but he’s got the jokes down pat.

 

We stopped another formation that is very popular with rock climbers. These two formations are a particular favourite.  The smaller of the two is called the totem pole and the far more challenging of the two.

From this point our attention was diverted out toward the ocean. Drew, our guide, is quite passionate about the wildlife and in particular the fish. He spotted a school of blue fin tuna and went on to tell us many tales of how difficult they are to catch. The abundance of birds circling an area of the ocean is a sure sign of fish activity below and this is what the fisherman looks for. It was amazing how much we learned on this about ocean wildlife on the cruise. Both Drew and Will were both extremely passionate about the area the live and the wildlife that inhabit it.

We were also lucky enough to spot some dolphins as well.

As we continued on the coast became more rugged with some parts looking like someone had come along and started to carve out an entrance way. The further we went the more spectacular it became. Apparently, these are Australia’s highest sea cliffs. We went as far as Tasman Island which happens to be the final turn for the Sydney to Hobart yacht race.

This island has one of the most remote lighthouses in Australia and was started in 1904 and took approximately 18 months to complete. The cast iron components of the light were hauled up piece by piece up the steep cliffs. There were also three keeper’s cottages built up there. This light house was automated in 1976 so the only occupants on the island are the hundreds of seals.

One they way back we were treated to amazing columns called dolerites which protrude from the ocean up to 300 metres. They really are a spectacular site to see. 

On the way back there were no more stops and they was great as you could clearly see the changing rock formations.

If ever you are in Tasmania, check out the Pennicott tours. They offer a fantastic experience which is fascinating, educational and awe inspiring.

Now you probably thought that the was the end of out day but no, wait…there’s more.

Not satisfied with our morning’s entertainment, we planned to make a quick visit to Port Arthur. Unfortunately, we didn’t get there until mid-afternoon so it didn’t leave us with much time to take in all the site. We booked the introductory tour and did a quick walk of the governor’s garden before the tour. It was a lovely garden that I think would be quite beautiful in the spring.

We had a quick look at the church and then headed back to find our tour group.

No-one else turned up so we got a private tour from Natalie. She was a terrific guide and very open and honest about the pain and suffering that the prisoners endured while the were here. It’s very hard to reconcile this beautiful site with some of the horrors that have occurred here, both historical and modern events.

One of the more amusing things Natalie pointed out was the superintendent’s house. When you look at it, the chimney is directly above the window…so which is real, the window or the chimney?

Turns out the window is fake and no-one is really sure why it was done this way.

We were shown the new penitentiary where the reoffending prisoners were sent to individual cells where they were locked up for 23 hours and day and not allowed to speak at all. They were stripped of there identity and only referred to a number. When sent out to the exercise yard their heads were covered with a hessian. It was thought if they received psychological punishment they would repent and be able to return to society. Unfortunately, this had the opposite effect and may ended up on the lunatic asylum, any wonder. This was such a cruel place.

With our tour over we only had about an hour before the site closed. The site is approximately 100 acres so there was no way were going to see it all. It would be good to go back one day and spend the time it deserves.

We had also booked a ghost tour of the site later that evening and had arranged to have dinner at the 1839 Restaurant on the site. Rather than going back to the van we decided to stay and have a drink while waiting for Ruth and Mark. The meal was beautiful.

At 9:00pm we met up with our ghost tour guide, he took us to a number sites and told many stories of sightings and strange occurrences. Unfortunately, there were no ghosts or apparitions to be seen.

The upside of this is that the park lighting does make the old buildings look spectacular.

All in all, another great day!