Headed towards Tasman Peninsula through Dunalley. We remembered hearing about the bushfires in Tasmania in 2016 but didn’t think much of it. It’s not until you see it yourself and go to these places that you realise how affected they have been. Nearly the whole town of Dunalley was burnt down and people were really affected. There were signs everywhere that the community was only just now recovering. We stopped at the Dunalley Fish market which is right on the water. It is renowned for its fish and chips and not without reason. Yes it’s a bit scruffy and run down looking but that’s part of it’s character. Kind of like an old salty seaman. But the fish is to die for and it’s really good value! My mouth is watering now thinking of it again. And you can sit outside facing the blue ocean whilst you devour your ocean catch. You can even buy some nice fresh fillets of fish at good prices to cook at home which we did.
The Tasman peninsula is on the well worn tourist trail but it’s there for a reason. Lots of lovely and interesting spots in a small area. The distances are short so don’t make the mistake I made and allow too much time to cover things in this area as not a lot of time is needed unless heading out on some of the bigger treks but is well worth the stop. Spent a few days staying at Eaglehawk neck in an apartment I got a good deal on through Booking.com. Was handy to have a washing machine to wash everything for our last days of travel. The views were amazing too and it was nice and close to everything. A kitchen is a great way to save money too as again we self catered buying delicious local produce and cooking it up ourselves.
There is a circuit of seaside sights that includes the Blowhole, Tasman Arch, Devil’s Kitchen and the walk to Waterfall Bay. The walk is only a few kms and leaves from Devil’s kitchen and is worth doing for beautiful ocean clifftop views. I was still hobbling a bit with my plantar fasciitis at this point but the path was nice and smooth and I’d found that using my trekking pole made it easier and quite frankly was going to go nuts if I couldn’t do some walking.
The Doo-Lishus van at the blowhole looked like it had some amazing and good value seafood. If we weren’t full we might have eaten there but we did treat ourselves to some seaside oysters.
The day we were there the Blowhole was not blowing much and not that exciting – we wandered off the tourist track to check out the boat ramp which was great because we were treated to a visit by a seal who swam past. The pylons were covered in oysters and other shellfish and I so wanted to climb down and get them but Ron reminded me algal blooms have caused fatal poisoning in people eating wild oysters and there was probably a reason the locals hadn’t eaten these ones. Good point. Ron is the wise one in the family.
The tessellated pavement is also in this area and is an amazing sight – even looking closely you could swear that this was man made paving in areas but it’s all about the patterns of formation and erosion.
Remarkable cave is a worthwhile short detour with magic views on a clear day and lots of seabirds.
Beautiful picnic spots are everywhere which worked well for us with our self catering and taking picnic gear and food with us on the road. Saves a fortune and much healthier plus you get to each lunch in places with awesome views! There is a nice little cove with a picnic table past Port Arthur that has views out to the Isle of the Dead that was a great spot for lunch.
Whites beach is a beautiful sheltered beach that was lovely and warm even when cool winds prevailed elsewhere. The sand was white and the sea turquoise and clear. Had a little paddle and beach comb but thought to myself I could handle hanging out here a few days if we had the time. Had a nice family feel to it too.
Port Arthur historic site is a well known popular tourist site. Sadly for many Australians it is also known to us as the site of our worst ever gun massacre in the 1980’s. Tragic as it was, it was the trigger for the introduction of quite strict gun laws in Australia. For that, many of us are grateful, especially as we increasingly see the horrors of gun violence in the US so regularly on our nightly news.
Port Arthur is definitely worth going to. I’d been there as a child and was mainly going for Ron’s benefit. Came up later that neither of us had been particularly interested in convict history but by the end of it we were really glad we’d come and found it really interesting. The views presented about how it all happened were much more balanced and better researched than it had been when I was young and it was very enlightening. I didn’t realise how much myth was out there about these convict settlements and it was really fascinating. Highly recommend it. Few tips though – book your tickets online – goes quicker at the counter. Get there nice and early before the tour groups arrive – aim to be there when the doors open. Definitely take the included guided ‘tours’. They don’t go around but the information provided is really great and done by enthusiastic volunteers passionate about the true history of the place. Take a hat and sunscreen. Don’t bother paying the extra for the Isle of the dead or Point Pier ( unless this is really your thing) as the included boat cruise goes past these places and gives a summary of the history of them. The wind there can be quite cold even in summer so take a jacket as well.
There are two less advertised convict history sites that are actually really interesting and one is particularly well done. The dog line is an interesting part of the history and worth checking out. It’s where Port Arthur management, in their desperation to stop escaping convicts set up a line of chained up vicious dogs across the narrow isthmus separating the peninsula from the mainland. The other site is the ‘Coal Mines historic site’. There is a really good downloadable guide and map – download it on to your phone before you get to the site as the phone reception there is a bit dodgy. It is a really well done renovated site showing the coal mines where a lot of convicts were taken to work and you can even walk into the ruins and try out what it was like being in one of the solitary isolation cells designed for sensory deprivation which drove some of them mad – creepy!
From the peninsula it’s a pretty short drive back to Hobart.To be honest I didn’t find Hobart that exciting. Although I guess it’s what you’re interested in and I’d come to Tassie for the nature. I did notice there were some lovely parks in Hobart though. We decided to skip Hobart as our timing didn’t coincide for any of the festivals or markets and we drove on to check out Huon valley and the Tahune airwalk.
Huon valley is such a picturesque little place – so pretty to drive through. The little town of Franklin is especially pretty and historic. Summer is a great time to drive through as the place is full of fruits and ciders, cherries and blueberries and apricots being sold on the roadside. And you don’t know what a cherry truly tastes like if you haven’t eaten one fresh from the orchard instead of a supermarket shelf.
I wasn’t sure about doing the Tahune airwalk. I’d read mixed reviews – especially about the cost of the ticket… AND I’m not real good with heights on see-through cantilevered walkways. But it’s a bit of a detour and it seemed silly to get all the way out there and not check it out for the sake of $30 each. Yes it did seem a bit exxy but they have to pay for staff and maintenance and it’s also used to promote and encourage sustainable forestry practices. I managed to calm my fears as I walked through the canopy by randomly singing ‘Yellow submarine’ to myself – dont ask me why!? But it worked. Although I couldn’t quite bring myself to walk right out onto the cantilever. The views were lovely, the trees impressive and some nice little walks around the site as well.
I was disappointed that the nearby Big Tree was no longer signposted as they are trying to protect the area and visits to the tree are no longer allowed which is a shame as it is the biggest tree in the southern hemisphere on recent measures. We had been hoping to visit it. But the trees in the area were still very impressive.
