An area which conjures up images full of history, of convict era brutality, of remoteness (the very reason that Port Arthur and the chain of penal settlements were put there), and now, a layer of attractions and things to see and do at every turn.
Be stunned by beaches which the locals know, by sea cliffs and caves which astound, and small settlements with friendly locals. It is the essence of Tasmania. It is also one of the places where Tasmanians go for their own breaks away, with many shacks and holiday homes dotted along the Peninsula. Join them.
What should you see? You cannot ignore the Convict Trail. Once boundaried by nature and guards this was a place not easy to escape from. Port Arthur was the most well known in the system, but others: the Officer Quarters and the infamous 'Dog Line' at Eaglehawk Neck, the Norfolk Bay Convict Station and Jetty at Taranna, the Cascades Convict Probation Station at Koonya, Impression Bay Convict Probation Station at Premaydena, Saltwater River Convict Probation Station at Saltwater River along with the Convict Coal Mines, and the Nubeena/Wedge Bay Probation Station. Look for the signs as you head south - they are well sign-posted.
This is not a place for a day visit. Take the time for a one or two night stay and you will be rewarded. Take a cruise out to sea from Pirates Bay. Be thrilled as you take in 300 meter high cliffs and sheer poles of stone. See caves and collapsed caverns, the rough beauty of Cape Raoul, Tasman Island with its lighthouse which has guarded this junction to the Tasman Sea for many years. Picture what life must have been like for the lighthouse keepers. Imagine their supply lines and being at sea in ships where lights were lit, not turned on.
The magic begins at Eaglehawk Neck with the Tesselated Pavement. Tour by car through the sights offered by the Tasman Arch or the oddity of Doo Town. On foot choose from 35 fantastic walks in and around Tasman National Park. From 15 minute short easy family walks right up to hard, steep, rough tracks for the more adventurous.
Main towns include Nubeena - the administrative centre for the area, Taranna, Eaglehawk Neck and Port Arthur.
Find out more from the Tasman Peninsula region web site - as they say, "You've found the Tasmania you are looking for!"
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