Port Arthur & Hobart

Thursday 4^th February.

            From Taranna it is only 10 km to Port Arthur so we timed our departure from the Taranna Cottages so as to arrive at the Visitors Centre of Port Arthur shortly after they opened. Parked in the extensive RV section of the car-park then headed off downhill to the Visitors Centre entrance to the historic Penal Settlement.

The admission price of $28 concession includes a guided walking tour of about 45 minutes followed by a 40-minute boat cruise around the harbour to the Isle of the Dead where both deceased convicts and free settlers were buried. A nearby small island housed all the juvenile convicts aged from 9 to 14 years who were considered at risk if locked up with the older convicts in the large penitentiary buildings.

A little known fact concerning the Port Arthur penal settlement is that those incarcerated here who were shipped out from England were not first time offenders with a minor misdemeanor as their only crime.

They were repeat offenders who were overcrowding the goals in England.

Following these organised tours, we spent several hours roaming at will around the settlement looking at the old buildings such as the hospital, the commandants house etc. Our initial observations were just how much the area has been upgraded and to some extent changed in as much as occupational health and safety regulations dictate. On our previous visits some 45 plus years back visitors were permitted to roam in and out of the various derelict buildings. Now everything has safety standards such as covered walkways, handrails at every turn plus warning signs everywhere.

The tragic events of 28^th April 1996 where Martin Bryant went on a shooting rampage killing 35 people and injuring another 19 have been downplayed to some extent. However, the Broad Arrow Cafe where most of the shootings took place has been incorporated into a memorial to these poor souls. The actual building has been reduced to the outer sandstone walls and a reflective pool created at the rear of this building. The whole area including secluded garden is a very quiet and solemn place.

A late lunch in the visitor’s centre rounded out a very pleasant visit.

As today happens to be our 55^th wedding anniversary we plan to celebrate this milestone with a nice dinner at the Wrest Point Casino in Hobart. Consequently, we needed to move on quickly to reach Hobart in time to book into the Hobart Showgrounds for overnight accommodation before driving to the Casino.

Boy has Hobart grown over the intervening 46 years since we lived here. The suburbs now span all along both the eastern shore and high into the hills and valleys surrounding Hobart in all directions.

We enjoyed a very nice dinner and a glass of champagne overlooking the Derwent River.

Friday 5^th February.

            As there is no checkout time from the showgrounds we left the motor-home here and caught the bus into Hobart. Before we went to collect our rental car from Hertz, we had a short walk around a couple of familiar venues from the past.

First on this list was a visit to the Cat & Fiddle Square one of Colin’s favourite places to visit when he was 4 years old. This feature has changed dramatically over the years. The main feature has been retained high on a wall however the small fountain pool has long gone. The entire area is now housed within a multi storied shopping mall. Next place of interest which I particularly wanted to check in the CBD was the building where IBM was housed at 158 Collins Street. What a pleasant surprise to find that this building is still in use as office space. The adjoining building is currently under reconstruction so I guess it won’t be long before 158 is demolished and a new modern building erected on the site. The compulsory photos were taken, then we moved on to collect the rental car and returned to the showgrounds to pick up the motor-home.

We are staying at New Norfolk, a short 25-minute drive from Hobart where we are booked into a riverside caravan park for the next 7 days.

Saturday 6^th February.

            An institution in Hobart is the Saturday markets at Salamanca Place adjoining the CBD and Constitution Dock. So naturally this was our destination for this morning. Parking is somewhat of a bun fight so we parked our rented Hyundai i20 a little further away beside the Anglesea Military Barracks and walked back down the hill and through St. David’s Park to Salamanca Place.

The setting for these market stalls is just magnificent with the old stone Bond Stores forming the backdrop right down to the water. As this is the Hobart Regatta weekend there are a number of additional attractions set up here. The Australian Navy had an extensive display complete with band and vocalists performing on a stage.

Also in port at present were a navy destroyer which was open to the public and a cruise ship tied up at an adjacent wharf. Monday is a public holiday for the annual Regatta day and the Hobart Cup horse racing.

Eventually we dragged ourselves away from the markets and returned to St. David’s Park for a look at the early settler’s headstones set in the walls around the park.

Our next stop was to visit the Cascade Brewery where we paid to go on the plant tour and tasting. This brewery is steeped in history which made for a most interesting and informative tour. At the conclusion of the tour we sampled a couple of their cider and beer products.