4/11/06
Port Arthur
Having to drive through Queenstown to get to Hobart, we had another
view of the mining. The surrounding area is horribly stripped of its
topsoil, and vegetation. On a sign welcoming you to the town in the
valley someone scratched out "Queenstown "with the name "Mordore," the
fictional Tolkin region that was stripped bare to build an army.
Looking at the destruction, this was real life following fiction.
Responsible mining is more regulated today, and the stripping of the
mountains are a little more controlled. In the protected National
Forests there were nice walks to
see restored wilderness and places that won't be destroyed again.
During our stay in Hobart, we took the 90 minute drive to Port Arthur,
the historic site of the Tasmanian penal colony. It was where the worst
of the worst offenders were sent to serve their sentence. It was hard
to imagine the torture and cruelty that permeated this prison over 150
years ago when we visited it on such beautiful Fall day.
After the prison was shut down in the late 1800s, it fell into ruins
after a fire burned raged through the grounds. Port Arthur and most of
Australia wanted to forget its convict beginnings, so many of the
buildings were sold for their bricks. It wasn't until the early 20th
century did people come around to the idea of preserving and restoring
some of this history, so Port Arthur was brought back to teach people
about Australia's past.
Unfortunately, Port Arthur was scarred 10 years ago by the worst mass
murders in Australian History. A lone gunman killed 35 people, mostly
tourists, in a rampage that lasted over 18 hours. The killer eventually
surrendered and is now serving a life sentence for his horrible deeds,
but this tragic event will forever be remembered by the people of this
small community. It was hard not to think of the day of the murders as
we walked the grounds of Port Arthur.
Port Arthur is on a Peninsula that is still largely inaccessible by
sealed roads. Many of the points in this picture are only reachable by
walking track. In the diminishing light of the day, we tried to see
some of the other sights near Port Arthur.
The coast is rocky and steep, and some of the walking tracks will take
you right to the edge!
The erosion formed this arch high above the water.
Another cave called a blowhole was a short walk from the car park. At
high tide the water comes close to roof of this cave, causing pressure
to build up behind the surge of the waves. I'm sure we would get very
wet if were standing here at that time.
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