On our last day in Tasmania we went to visit the formal convict settlement at Port Arthur. From 1833, until the 1850s, Port Arthur was the destination for the hardest of convicted British criminals as well as those who were secondary offenders having re-offended after their arrival in Australia.
The settlement is located on the Tasman peninsula where the dramatic environment created the ideal natural prison for the convicts. The combination of 300-metre high sea cliffs, deep ocean and thick forests made escape an almost impossible prospect.
A few days earlier we had been given some top-secret advice from a couple of friendly hikers. We were told that it was possible to get into Port Arthur without paying the entry fee! We were given details of a little-known path along the coast which turned out to be completely true and lead straight into the settlement. Any feelings of guilt about not paying were countered with the knowledge that many long-suffering and long-dead convicts would have approved!
Port Arthur had some of the strictest security measures of the British penal system. We silently took in the somber surroundings of the cruel 'Separate Prison', which included a quick spell in the solitary confinement 'Punishment Room'. As soon as the door was shut, the absolute darkness was terrifying and we could each stand about 5 seconds before knocking on the door to be released.
After a few hours in the settlement we successfully made our escape without incident, vowing to donate our entry fees to a more worthwhile cause.
That evening we decided to cheer ourselves up with a tour of the Cascade Brewery in Hobart. Built in 1824, the original building still operates producing over 30 million litres of beer each year.
After donning high-visibility vests and protective glasses on the tour, we made it back to the safety of the brewery bar where the full Cascade range was enthusiastically tasted. Mark's favourite was their "First Harvest Ale", which unfortunately never leaves the island due to limited availability - each year the first hops of the season are harvested to supply enough for a single day's brewing. This could be reason enough for a return visit to 'Tassie".
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