PENITENTIAL PORT ARTHUR

Reflections of Sinister Times

Left to my own devices I probably wouldn’t have visited Port Arthur this time around. I did see it in another lifetime around 40 or so years ago and it left a memorable impression on my psyche then. As DD hadn’t been there however, it was on our list. As it turns out, I’m glad I went as although Port Arthur didn’t really do it for me this time, the trip down was lovely and as usual we saw some amazing country along the way.

Tasmania just keeps on giving – so much beauty – you never know what you will find around the next bend, mountains, pastures, orchards, rivers or ocean – it is all incredible. On the roughly 120k drive from New Norfolk to Port Arthur we passed through all of this. Firstly we drove over the Tasman Bridge, yet again, and then into the amazing jigsaw that is the South Eastern realm of Tassie. We are constantly stunned by the never ending amount of water-front property and land here. When you look closely at a map of Tasmania you will see that the shore line pushes fingers of land out here there and everywhere and in so doing creates enormous amounts of water views. We are flabbergasted by the low prices of water frontage properties – it would appear this is due largely to the fact that they are just so common down here, be it river, lake or sea that is visible.

Even the Cows have Water Views

DD was a little anxious (he gets that way sometimes) and really didn’t want to do to many detours along the way, but we did a few little side excursions nevertheless (I am annoyingly persistent) and we did manage to get a little lost at one stage, adding to DD’s deteriorating state of mind. The side trip did produce some amazing views however and we were only lost for a very short time, albeit on some very narrow, muddy, hilly, country where banjo music could be heard wafting from the often rickety porches of the back-country homes.

Lush Farming Land

We passed through some lush pastoral country and stopped off to check out the coastline here and there before reaching Dunalley. According to the news, they lost 200 homes in the Dunalley fires early this year. The area certainly gave evidence of major bush fires and we did see first-hand the tragedy of those fires in the blackened ruins of once loved homes. The wonder was, looking at the remains of those fires, that more homes were not lost. Many of these houses are set right in amongst the dense forest areas with very little in the way of fire-breaks. Coming from WA where they are so strict about fire-breaks, clearing trees from around the houses and the burning of heavy undergrowth, it all seems strange to us and so very risky. We have our fair share at home of homes in unsuitable situations, but here it is simply a way of life.


Dreadful Loss



Nature in Recovery Mode

The good news as we travelled through that fire ravaged region was that thanks largely to volunteers most of the fences have been repaired and replaced. The re-growth is substantial even after only 3 months. They have had it all down there, as they had floods after the fires, but the floods have hastened the speed of the re-generation of the bush. Trees are freshly decorated with garlands of fresh green leaves climbing smoke blackened trunks. Aren’t our gums amazing? Fresh green shoots of grass scramble moss-like across the sooty ground and life goes on. Best perhaps, to look at the regrowth and survival as a blessing than concentrate on the negatives of loss of life and property; I weep particularly for the loss of all the beautiful birds and marsupials in that wild country. It will take a very long time for that life to regenerate.

From Dunalley we moved on to Port Arthur passing the surprising Tasman Arch along the way. This ‘Arch’ is situated right next to a road and but for the signage you would drive straight past never guessing its existence. The arch is much like similar ocean structures along the Great Ocean Road.


Tasman Arch



Magnificent Bay - Magnificent Photo

Port Arthur certainly has changed since I was last there. Frankly, and I know many will not agree with me here, I don’t believe they have done the place any favours by making it so very ............................. normal. I cannot think of any other way to describe what they have done there. Once upon a time, you could just meander around the ruins, soaking up the atmosphere and finding your own personal revelations about the place. Now, you must enter through a state of the art centre where of course you can purchase a meal, (expensive) and any number of inane ‘tourist trinkets’. Once you have paid the toll you then have to await a ‘guide’ who takes you with a group of other victims on a so called tour of the place. The tour consists of the guide walking around 20 paces and pausing to shoot off their mouth about whatever building appears in your line of vision before moving on and repeating the process. This goes on for 40 odd (very odd) minutes. There were two of these redoubtable folk on duty the day we visited, and sadly we ended up with the dud. Those who know me well, will know that I rarely take any sort of unreasonable dislike to anyone, but this bloke managed to get under my skin in a big way. He had absolutely no sense of humour, why he didn’t even think DD was funny when he regaled him along the walk with a whole plethora of Dougisms! Something about this bloke didn’t sit right with me – probably a real nice bloke, but my reaction to him did put a bit of a blight on things for me.

Inside The Chapel

So Beautiful in its tragedy

Very few of the buildings are accessible these days – in particular the solitary confinement section of the old gaol. This is where I went last time and where I felt the most significant of the ‘vibe’ of the old place was. They have turned the asylum into a museum and neither of us felt it had been done in any meaningful way. There was no mention of the massacre, which I guess is probably correct – except that you kind of get the feeling that it is swept under the carpet for fear of it robbing the old prison of some of the limelight.

Stunning

Once you have endured the guides, you are then left to your own devices to wander around and explore. I suppose it is not a bad system and perhaps had we had a different guide our enjoyment levels would have been higher. There is now a cruise attached to the Port Arthur experience – yet another one of these huge Tasmanian catamarans takes you on a 20 min cruise around the deep bay visiting the Island of the Dead where most of their burials took place, and the Boy’s Prison island, Point Puer. It is optional to disembark at these points of interest and interestingly you have to pay an additional fee if you wish to visit the Boys Prison Island. We were there too late in the day to stop off at the islands and so contented ourselves with the cruise.

Isle of The Dead (strange effects thru' the cat windows)

On the up-side, it was all quite informative, the guides did impart quite a lot of information enabling a better understanding of the buildings and their purpose, but somewhere along the way, the atmosphere has been sterilised. Perhaps all the old and unhappy spirits whose presence used to permeate the atmosphere there have found absolution and peace and moved on.

What Was

It was just a very picturesque historical site. The Chapel ruins are still my favourite part of the visit and the beauty of the place was undeniable. We were fortunate too, to have selected a particularly sunny day – doubtless a cloudy and dim day would produce a whole different impression. An added bonus for us was spotting a very large and active octopus in the waters just next to where we boarded the cat. The octopus was in the company of a couple of rather large looking fish – just who was pursuing who was not clear, but it did seem that the game was on. The waters there were clear as crystal and we were able see the action very clearly.

Calming Views - Homeward Bound

Peaceful Pastures

Our drive home was just as beautiful as the drive out in the morning and we did cover a few slightly different points as the route actually loops at the end. The day was all in all a good one, and of course, if you haven’t been there before, it is a box you really need to tick when you visit Tasmania. Stay in the light and keep a positive perspective – Stephanie.

Just One of the Pretty Corners We Found That Day