OK – as anyone who knows me can attest, I’m a little bit of a history nerd. I don’t know why, but I love history. I loved Social Studies as a kid – learning about the history of different countries, examining behind the scenes to see how things worked. I was that nerd in school. So when I heard about Port Arthur, it was something that I had to do.
The City Lookout over Hobart
So, it was another early morning, as I waited for the van to come pick me up at 7:00am. And we were off. The first stop was in the town of Richmond, just outside of Hobart and home of the Oldest Bridge in Tasmania – built by convicts in 1823. It’s a very picturesque little village, complete with the old Millers house, and the oldest Catholic church. As a result of my ghost tour experience a couple of days before, I couldn’t help but wander through the cemetery to look at some of the old headstones. Morbid, but I found it fascinating.
The Richmond Bridge
The original Mill Owner's home - still a private residence.
The Church.
Back on our way to Port Arthur, we stopped along the way to view some of the stunning ocean cliffs. Pictures are always better than words.
And then we finally reached Port Arthur. Port Arthur is the old convict settlement on Tasmania. Essentially, it’s the collection of ruined buildings that remain – although some have been reconstructed and refurbished to give you the idea of what life was like for both the convicts and the officials who lived in the settlement. It’s a little eerie to be quite honest, but quite interesting. Also included was a harbour cruise so that you can see the Isle of the Dead – where they buried both convicts and officials – and the Boys prison island, because it wasn’t only adults who were transported. All in all, it was an excellent day .
Thnaks for the beautifull trip, marvellous.
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