Driving alone along the southeastern coast of Tasmania toward Port Arthur, I feel out of synch.
The roadside signs point to Pirates Bay, Devil’s Kitchen and Blow Hole. High on one craggy cliff, a majestic white-breasted sea eagle perches, watching and waiting for his prey. Far below, the azure Tasman Sea boils, incessant in its quest for the shore. Rolling hills and ancient rain forests lead into placid fertile valleys.
But I wonder what crimes banished thousands of men and women from the British Isles to these forbidding yet beautiful shores. From 1831 to 1877, convict settlements scattered this area that has often been called the most scenic corner of this island state.
Along the way, I stop at Eaglehawk Neck historic site. This lovely bay with its white sand beach was once home to a chained line of savage dogs and military guards who watched with keen eyes for escaped Port Arthur convicts.
This narrow bay with its natural land bridge offered many temptations for escape from the penal colony, but only a few brave souls made it successfully. Desperate convicts fashioned makeshift canoes while others attempted to swim across the turbulent waters toward freedom. Today, visitors can still see a cutting in the sand dunes here that identifies the site of the dog line.
Legend has it that one resourceful convict, Billy Hunt, almost made it through the escape route by disguising himself as a kangaroo while trying to hop across a narrow isthmus. He was forced to give away his real identity, though, when one of the guards decided to shoot the big kangaroo for its meat. Billy went back to Port Arthur for the rest of his natural life.
Today the scenery’s the same but the convicts are gone. The Tasman Peninsula is home to some of the world’s best surfing and bluefin tuna fishing, secluded beaches, oyster farms and gourmet eateries. Cozy inns and historic homes dot the landscape where chain gangs once toiled along this rugged coastline.
Visitors can still see the Officers’ Quarters at Eaglehawk Neck, said to be Australia’s oldest existing timber military building and the only surviving building of this once substantial but lonely settlement.
The Tasmanians have replaced the shame of their convict history with a genuine pride in their ancestry. Talking with the Tasmanians invites eager conversation and stirring ghost stories, cherished family convict history and some friendly advice about the area’s natural and historic features.
A sideroad points to Koonya on the shores of Norfolk Bay near Port Arthur. This is where I’ll spend my first night in Tasmania, at the historic Cascade Cottages. The Cascades, named for a nearby waterfall, was an important convict outpost established in the 1840s. Through the years, it has been restored and now provides, in addition to the cottages, a firsthand look at convict life. A private museum on the property holds prison relics and detailed biographies of convicts and their jailers.
I make my way across a wooden bridge to the Overseer’s Cottage, my quarters for the night. The stone cottage is furnished with authentic period pieces and every amenity imaginable, from vintage china service for that afternoon “cuppa” to plenty of wood for a crackling fire in the original fireplace. It is cozy, comfortable and just a wee bit eerie after dark.
On a clear night, the full moon makes it easy to imagine the days when the Cascades convicts wore 35-pound leg irons in dank solitary confinement cells and ate meals consisting of a thin gruel and water. Many of the convicts stationed here were on their way for execution in Hobart, so the overseer had to be a rugged and powerful individual, capable of instilling fear and obedience. I can almost see him in the rocker by the fire.
At sunrise, a 30-minute walk along the Old Jetty, once used to ship timber away, leads through dense forests and offers visitors a look at sandstone ruins, underground cells and abundant birds and wildlife. Tidal beaches provide habitat for more than 40 species of birds, their morning reverie a pleasant wakeup call before a full breakfast, which includes a cup of strong espressolike Aussie coffee.
Port Arthur, a 15-minute drive from Koonya, stands as Tasmania’s most renowned penal colony. Considered by the British in the 1860s to be among the best of 35 colonial prisons in the empire, it was used as a model for discipline in other Australian prisons. Between 1830 and 1877, 12,500 prisoners passed through here.
The site today consists of restored houses and gardens. History buffs will enjoy walking the grounds through the Old Church, the Medical Officer’s Residence and the Pauper’s Mess.
Ghost stories abound in Port Arthur. In fact, you can take an after-dark ghost tour, complete with gas lanterns and a spooky guide.
Back in my car and the safety of the road, I head toward Richmond, a small country town established in 1824. Nestled among rolling hills, Richmond feels and looks like a village in the English countryside. Its cobblestone town square is rich with the smells of savory meat pies and sweet bakery treats.
The oldest existing Catholic church in Australia, St. John’s, endures as a monument to the faith of the early settlers. Begun in 1836, the Gothic character of St. John’s remains relatively unchanged. Its Tasmanian blackwood altar is a new addition, though.
The adjacent cemetery sits high on a hill, offering sweeping vistas along with a different view into history. Some of the graves date back to before the church was opened. Sketchy church records document deaths by murder, fractured skulls and drownings.
The Richmond Bridge is perhaps the area’s favorite landmark. Built with convict labor between 1823 and 1825, the stone bridge carries ghost legends and lore. One legend says the bridge is haunted by the wicked prison flagellator who was murdered in a convict uprising, his body thrown over the bridge.
But it’s not all ghosts and macabre deaths in Richmond. Georgian architecture and tree-lined streets call for a quiet stroll through the town that is home to artisans and milliners, fine restaurants, bookstores and interesting shops.
At the Jolly Miller Bakery, I am treated to my first Lamington, an Australian sweet spongy cakelike delicacy bathed in feathery chocolate and dusted with coconut. At Ma Foosie’s Tea Room, the afternoon “cuppa” is an art form, almost a lunch in itself.
Dinner at the historic Prospect House, once a livery stable, is gourmet by any standard. Tasmanian venison and trout, served up in style, highlight the menu at this secluded country inn where even the old tack room has been furnished with a brass bed. Peacocks define pride as they strut about the premises, displaying their elegant plumage and acting as if they own the place.
The next day, a 45-minute drive from Richmond takes me across the Hobart Bridge and into the city limits. Hobart, Tasmania’s capital city with a population of nearly 200,000, sits demurely in a protected scenic harbor filled with fishing and sailing boats, yachts and ferries. Moody Mt. Wellington looms behind the city, which lies on the estuary of the Derwent River.
Hobart is Australia’s second oldest city and was once a cruel administration hub for the infamous penal colonies of Tasmania. An “old salt feel” permeates the nooks and crannies of this graceful city.
Salamanca Place, once a decrepit row of Georgian warehouses and sheep-shearing buildings in disrepair, now stands proudly along the waterfront. Salamanca Place is alive again, the old stone wharf buildings transformed into sidewalk cafes, art studios, galleries and produce markets.
Tasmania is fast becoming known as a gourmet island. Its chocolate soil, ample rain and temperate climate provide fertile ground for some of the world’s best wines, cheeses, apples and berries. Obviously, given the riches of the Tasman Sea and its surrounding waters, the seafood is fresh and varied. You can even buy fresh fish directly from the fishmongers on a clean wharf just a two-minute walk from the Hobart post office.
Battery Point, a historic section of Hobart named for a battery of guns on the promontory, was established in 1818 and has changed little in the last 100 years. A walk down winding cobblestone streets leads to close-packed English-style cottages tucked in among majestic mansions.
Freddy and Zsa Zsa, the innkeepers of the Colonial Battery Point Manor, tell me of their experience with a presence in their historic bed-and-breakfast. The manor’s resident ghost is a friendly presence, though, and never raises fear in any of the guests.
It was not without some hesitation that I signed up–alone–for a tour of Hobart’s Penitentiary Chapel and Criminal Court, now part of the Australia National Trust. The complex is said to house troubled ghosts of long-dead convicts, and the only tours offered there are after dark.
Guided by Jan Beadle, a robust woman with rosy cheeks and a twinkle in her eye, I took one daring step after another, tracing the convicts’ footsteps. Into a solitary confinement cell, down into the dank dungeon where shackles still hung on the wall and through low-ceilinged passageways on the way to the gallows, I listened to tales of woe. Beadle’s lilting accent, her pinafore and high-buttoned shoes and her almost personal knowledge of the prisoners made me forget what year it was.
I felt my spine chill underneath the scaffold, where 32 prisoners gasped their last at the end of a rope. In the courtroom, the judges’ chair, the jury box and the prisoners’ holding cell still stand just as they were when prisoners, some as young as 9 years old, were sentenced to hang at daylight. In those days, crimes as benign as stealing eggs from your neighbor or a handkerchief from a lady were punishable by death.
Visitors may want to wind up their visit to southeastern Tasmania with a day trip from Hobart.
One of my favorites is the Huon Valley, known for its natural beauty and ancient forests. Along the eastern side of the Huon River, country roads lead to art studios where woodturners, weavers and potters welcome visitors at their front doors. Wineries invite tastings and questions with typical Tasmanian hospitality.
Along the way, you’ll want to stop at Ma’s Favourites, a little roadside deli chock-full of homemade meat pies and other Tassie favorites. Local gossip and advice for travelers are easy to come by here.
Mt. Field National Park, one of Tasmania’s oldest national parks, is about 80 minutes west of Hobart and is well worth the drive. This prehistoric rain forest is full of myrtle trees, towering swamp gums and other eucalypts. Wallabies hop in and around the pathways through the park, often hiding under a fern to watch the curious humans.
A 10-minute walk through the wet forest takes you to Russell Falls, one of Australia’s favorite waterfalls. A wooden bridge, dinosaur-era plants and brilliant sunshine near the falls provide spectacular photo opportunities.
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The Australian Tourist Commission publishes “Destination Australia,” a free booklet available by calling 800-333-0262. Readers can also call the Aussie Help Line at 708-296-4900. Written inquiries may be made to the Australian Tourist Commission, 2121 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 1200, Los Angeles, Calif. 90067. State information is available from the Tasmanian Travel & Information Center, 20 Davey St., Hobart, Tasmania (011-61-02-30-8233) and the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service, 134 Macquarie St., Hobart, Tasmania (011-61-02-33-6197).
