TASMANIA 6 - TASMAN PENINSULA

As soon as we were settled at the Dunalley camp we realised that there must be lots of oysters in the bay in front of us as the bush was full of huge empty oyster shells. So our first trip was down the bank to check it out. We managed to pick three tubs full of oysters before John’s back said enough so of course it was oysters for dinner. We wandered over to the pub for a drink first and met two guys from South Australia who were travelling on twin BMWs. Turns out they were ex-police bikes and the guys were both coppers. They were obviously fond of oysters so I invited them back for dinner the next night. John went oystering again next morning and took our new neighbour Chris down with him to show him how to get them. Needless to say we have been pigging out on oysters ever since plus we have a nice supply in the freezer.

This was a medium sized oyster at Dunalley.

The view at sunset from our camp at Dunalley looking out over Blackmn Bay.

After checking the weather forecasts we decided to do our boat trip around Tasman Island straight away as the forecasts for later in the week were for really strong winds. They weren’t wrong. Our trip was fantastic and sure enough the next day it was blowing at least 30 knots all day. We absolutely loved the boat trip. It was comfortable and the guys really knew their way around. They took us into sea caves and up close to seals and bird colonies. The scenery is amazing as were the snippets of information the guys gave us about the lighthouse on Tasman Island itself and the stories about the many ships which were wrecked on the rocks. Apparently the winds here are vicious and unpredictable which made it treacherous for sailing ships. We were amazed at how many were wrecked in the area. We also had an extra treat when we got to see thousands of short-tailed kestrels on their annual migration skimming over the ocean like a huge black cloud. The odd shy albatross also cruised by. It was a magic sight. The link below goes to a YouTube video which will give you some idea of the boat trip and the photos should tell the rest.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fje5e3oJRgQ&feature=player_embedded#!

Tasman arch (above) and The Devil's Kitchen (below) from the sea.

 

 

This waterfall falls straight into the ocean.

 

The St Bernard (can you see it?)

Approaching the candlestick and the needle.

A colony of New Zealand fur seals frequent a haul out near the candlestick.

The Needle is regarded as one of the hardest climbs in the world by rock climbers. They absail down the rockface at the right, jump across to the base of the Needle, climb up to the top them sling a rope back across at the top so they don't have to climb back down again. Crazy!!!

 

Cape Pillar - the tallest sea cliffs in Australia 

Australian fur seals have their own haul out on Tasman Island.

Apparently you can tell the difference between these guys and the kiwis is that the Aussies are much noisier and slightly smaller.

This was the landing facility for people and supplies for the lighthouse on Tasman Island.

Everything was run from the small rocky outcrop at right up the wire to the jetty then hauled up th slope at left and transported to the lighthouse at the south end of the island. 

This rocky outcrop on the south west side of Tasman Island is known as The Monkeys because of a small rock in the middle of the two pillars in the centre of the picture which looks like a monkey.

Heading north again toward Port Arthur, there is a mist hanging over the water which is apparently caused by the updraft of air from the west hitting the rocks. The prevailing winds come from west to east.

Our jump off point at Stewart's Bay, near Port Arthur

From a lookout on the way home we could look back to the small bay at right near Eaglehawk Neck where we started our boat trip.

Our third day was spent exploring other sights on the Peninsula. We had been to Port Arthur on our last trip so we just had a quick glimpse from the car park. If you haven’t been, set aside at least half a day to visit and include the boat ride over to the Island of the Dead.

Port Arthur - a beautiful place with so many sad stories.

All that's left of the cafe where so many people were killed.

 

Lime Bay is another historical area from the convict era. Coal was mined here and some of the buildings and mine infrastructure are still visible, although many of the bricks from the buildings were taken by farmers in the early 1900s for use building barns and other farm buildings, the remains of which can be seen as you drive out to the site. Small parts of the convict precinct have been restored and while the information given is interesting it is more focused on the stories of individuals who lived there and I felt there could have been much more information about the history of the whole place. I found lots of great info at the following website which is well worth a look. The following extract from the site is particularly interesting.

"The reputation for homosexuality at the Coal Mines Station was a factor that contributed to the demise of the probation system, and was also used as a means of swaying British public opinion against the further transportation of convicts to Van Diemen's Land. The Coal Mines were officially closed as a probation station in 1848 on 'moral and financial grounds', although the mines continued to be worked privately until 1877."

http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/national/coal-mines/information.html

I was surprised at the attention to architectural detail even here in a convict precinct.

The single-man cells built to separate prisoners at night because of "immoral" behaviour.

 

There is also quite a nice camping spot at the end of this Peninsula but it is quit a distance from the main tourist area and the road is gravel and a bit rough. If you don’t have a dog I would recommend Fortescue Bay as it is a very picturesque spot though it does get busy and a bit noisy on weekends I’m told.

Although we had been there before we revisited the Remarkable Cave, not far from Port Arthur. This is a magic spot but make sure you go there at low tide. Although you aren’t supposed to, it is great to climb down into the cave itself because about halfway in it splits in two with two separate entrances out to the sea. You can’t see this unless you go right in. Our three boys thought it was awesome when we visited years ago. Unfortunately when we arrived the tide was still too high. It is still a lovely spot to visit, and the hundred plus steps provides your exercise for the day at the same time.

 

 

We also visited the blowhole near Eaglehawk Neck and had a lovely feed of fish and chips from the van in the car park there. I would recommend it as a great lunch stop. And don’t forget to take a look at the “Doo” house names in Doo Town on the way. Tasman Arch and The Devil’s Kitchen are also nearby.

Tasman Arch from the land side.

Another interesting place to visit is Eaglehawk Neck itself. There is a statue of a dog from the dog line that was once there to warn of escaped convicts and there are also some military barracks in the vicinity. Just up the road you can also visit the tessellated pavement, an unusual rock formation on the shoreline. It is definitely worth a look.

The patterns made by the tides on several of the beaches was quite distinctive.

There are several other ‘tourist’ attractions on the Peninsula if you are inclined toward art galleries etc. And if you are travelling down from Hobart, make sure you stop at Sorrell and stock up the fridge. There is little else past there if you are looking for groceries etc.