Louisa's Walk - Live History Hobart

A unique piece of “Walking Theatre”, Louisa’s Walk is for those who are looking for something different. A must – do for those interested in History and Drama or who simply enjoy being entertained by a couple of wonderful actor/storytellers.

Louisa’s Walk blends history with fact in a highly entertaining and memorable way. It tells the story of a convict woman, Louisa Regan, who is convicted in London for stealing a loaf of bread. She is then transported to Van Diemens Land to serve a seven-year sentence in Hobart’s infamous Female Factory or women’s prison.

Meeting outside the historic Cascade Brewery in South Hobart, the audience witness the crime and sentencing of Louisa. They walk through the beautiful Cascade Gardens until they board the transportation ship The Rajah. The journey ends in Degraves Street where the grim walls of the Female Factory are waiting to receive them. Once inside those walls the, sometimes, lighthearted mood is gone, to be replaced by the harsh reality of the convict women’s story.

Laughter and tears are promised as you become caught up in this fascinating drama.
You will become transported yourselves back into the 19th century as Louisa’s story unfolds. And the ending? That must remain a mystery until you experience Louisa’s Walk for yourselves. One thing is promised, you will not only have been spellbound by a compelling piece of theatre but you will have absorbed the history of the Cascades including the famous Brewery and the Hobart Rivulet in the telling.

Many who have experienced Louisa’s Walk have said it has been the highlight of their visit to Tasmania. If you enjoy history, drama and entertainment why not join the thousands who have already “Walked the Walk” and voted it the top thing to do in Hobart on TripAdviser reviews?

Louisa’s Walk: a truly unique and original interpretation of convict women’s history – don’t miss it!

Performances: Daily @ 2.p.m. Meets outside the famous Cascade Brewery building.
Bookings are essential on 62 298959 or 0437 276417. Or why not book and pay online?
Tickets are $30.00 each.
Group Bookings Rates (8 or more) can be arranged.
Special schools performances: Primary or Secondary.
Website @: livehistoryhobart.com.au

While in the Hobart area, visit Book it Now to find the perfect Hobart accommodation.

Port Arthur Ruins

Although Port Arthur Historic Site is an important tourist destination its popularity often means that the actual village of Port Arthur are the surrounding parts of the Tasman Peninsula get overlooked, though this shouldn’t really be the case.

With so much to see at the Historic Site, and bearing in mind your entrance ticket is valid for two days, spending the night in Port Arthur is an excellent idea and one that we took advantage of. There’s some lovely Port Arthur accommodation in and around the village after all.

Port Arthur Attractions
So in addition to the Port Arthur Historic Site what else is there to see in and around Port Arthur village?

Island Cruises
The spectacular coastline around the Tasman Peninsula makes this an ideal place to go on a cruise. Not only do you get to see the beauty of this rugged coastline, which you can’t truly appreciate from the land, you also have the chance of seeing various marine wildlife including whales, dolphins, seals and sea birds. Tasman Island Cruises operates 3 hour long eco-cruises out of Port Arthur and come highly recommended.

Coal Mines Historic Site
About 20 km (12.5 miles) from Port Arthur is the Coal Mines Historic Site. This site also is important in Tasmania’s penal history because it was the convicts who were put to work here in Tasmania’s first operational mine. The mine was operational for more than 40 years and was developed so that the penal colony did not have to rely on imported coal from New South Wales, though it served a different purpose too – the worst of Port Arthur’s convicts were put to work here in conditions even more terrible and harsh than those at Port Arthur.

Visitors to the Coal Mines Historic Site can take a self-guided tour of the site and you may like the fact that it’s far less crowded here than at Port Arthur!

‘Touring Tasmania – Port Arthur Continuted’ by Claire Bolgil

The ruins of Port Arthur - once a penal colony

After a good night’s rest in Eaglehawk Neck we were up early the next morning and on our way to Port Arthur, just 19km (12 miles) down the Tasman Peninsula.

A Short History of Port Arthur
The main attraction at Port Arthur is the old penal colony which is inside the Port Arthur Historic Site. This is reputed to be Tasmania’s most popular tourist attraction and is one of the most important heritage sites in the whole of Australia.

The community of Port Arthur was first established in 1830 as a timber station and quickly grew into a near self-sufficient town with the influx of convicts who were put to work on hard labour, constructing the buildings they were to live in. The most famous of the Port Arthur penitentiary buildings (the large one on the waterfront) was initially built as a flour mill and granary, and construction took just one year, starting in 1842. Although the mill was built to cope with the demand of the growing population by producing much needed flour, the process of getting the water through the mill was just too complicated and hence the mill didn’t work at full efficiency. Ten years later the mill workings were stripped out and over the next three years the building was converted into a penitentiary.

Strangely, by the time the mill building was converted, Port Arthur was already in decline and by 1877 the decision had been taken to close the penal colony altogether. But, this wasn’t the end of Port Arthur because within just a few years the site was already becoming a popular tourist destination as locals offered ghostly tours of the buildings!

What to See and Do at Port Arthur Historic Site
Port Arthur Historic Site is open from 8.30am so you have plenty of time to make a full day of it. There are several different entrance packages for visitors to enjoy, depending on how long you have available and whether you want to enjoy any of the additional tours; some packages even include a meal! And remember that your entrance ticket is valid for two days entrance into the site.

Here’s a quick run-down on the tours available:

Harbour Cruise – The 20 minute Harbour Cruise is included in the admission price for everybody at Port Arthur and gives you the chance to see the penitentiary from the water as well as cruising past the Isle of the Dead and viewing the amazing coastline of the Tasman Peninsula.

Historical Walking Tour – The introductory Historical Walking Tour is also included in all admission tickets and is an excellent way to start your day as you’re given information about the site before you explore the ruins and buildings in more detail.

Audio Tours – If you prefer to explore the site in your own time but with the benefit of additional information, rent one of the Audio Tours to hear the sounds of Port Arthur as well as information, stories and more on the 25 stops the tour includes.

Isle of the Dead – An additional tour to the Isle of the Dead can be purchased on its own or is included in some of the entrance packages. This small island in the harbour is where many of the convicts were buried. You can join a guided walking tour to gain more insight into the graves and the people buried here.

Point Puer – Point Puer is another additional tour which you can purchase or is included in your admission for some packages. Point Puer was the boy’s prison, the first one exclusively for boys in the whole of the British Empire. This tour runs just once a day and takes about 2 hours in total.

Ghost Tours – Perhaps the most famous of the tours at Port Arthur is the after dark Ghost Tour! This is a very spooky tour where you might just encounter a convict ghost or two as they wander around the grounds. We recommend you book a night’s accommodation in Port Arthur as we did if you’re going on the Ghost Tour, that way you only have a short journey back to your hotel.

Please note that bookings are essential for the Ghost Tours and are recommended in advance for the other optional tours as well.

There’s lots more to see and do in addition to the above at Port Arthur Historic Site and it’s well worth spending a full two days here and getting the best value from the price of your admission fee. There’s a good range of accommodation in Port Arthur so you should easily find something suitable.

‘Touring Tasmania – Port Arthur’ by Claire Bolgil

The natural phenomenon of tessellated pavement in Tasmania

After a fun-filled morning in Richmond we head south-east towards the Tasman Peninsula, stopping at several points along the way. Our first stop is in the town of Sorell, about 20 to 25 minutes drive from Richmond.

Sorell
Sorell is another of Tasmania’s early settlements, though unlike Richmond, it has developed into a relatively modern town. We spent a little time here anyway, because we’d been told about various heritage buildings still standing around the town which were of interest, as well as several antique shops which are always fun to browse!

Copping
Onward further south-east we reached the settlement of Copping.

If you enjoyed browsing those antique shops in Sorell, you’ll love wandering around the Copping Colonial and Convict Exhibition! This is a permanent exhibition which features lots of convict related artefacts and memorabilia and you need a good hour to make the most of everything here.

Eaglehawk Neck
Following the road directly south from Copping you reach Dunalley and the start of the Tasman Peninsula. The road from here down to Eaglehawk Neck is very scenic, and once you reach Eaglehawk Neck there are a number of impressive sights to see.

We could have travelled on to Port Arthur, but decided to stop the night as there are several places to stay in Eaglehawk Neck. We wanted to spend some time in the morning enjoying the local attractions, detailed as follows, but first a little bit about this interesting place:

Eaglehawk Neck is a narrow strip of land, known as an isthmus, which connects the two halves of the Tasman Peninsula. Because the land is only 30 metres across at one point, the isthmus formed a natural gateway and was easy to guard against convicts trying to escape from the prison at Port Arthur. A line of fierce dogs were chained up here, so that any convicts trying to pass would be too scared to continue. The alternative was swimming across this stretch of water, although it was said to be shark-infested so didn’t make a very good alternative!

What to See in Eaglehawk Neck
The Dog Line – The famous Dog Line is still guarded by dogs, though these ones can’t hurt you as they’re only sculptures!

The Tessellated Pavement – This area on the coast looks as though it could be a man-made feature, though in fact it’s completely natural! The Tessellated Pavement is a flat section of volcanic rock which has been eroded by the ocean into the pattern you can see here today.

Tasman National Park – Because the geology is so important and spectacular here, a large section of the coastline was designated as national park. Within the Tasman National Park boundaries you can see some of Tasmania’s most spectacular landmarks along some of the highest coastlines in Tasmania. From the Lookout you get views of Eaglehawk Neck as well as Pirates Bay, the Lanterns and Hippolyte Rocks and all the way south to Cape Hauy.

Not far from Eaglehawk Neck are Tasman’s Arch, the Blowhole and the Devil’s Kitchen, which are all spectacular, plus the park features many other scenic attractions. You could actually spend several days here enjoying the beautiful coastal walks and more; we were very tempted to do the Cape Pillar walk, but we needed to press on towards Port Arthur.

‘Richmond to the Tasman Peninsula via Eaglehawk Neck’ by Claire Bolgil

Richmond Bridge

Today we say goodbye to Hobart, and start heading east on our tour around Tasmania. There are many great places which we’d like to visit, but time might not allow us to see everything! For the next few days we’re going to be following what’s called the ‘Convict Trail’, heading south from Richmond down onto the Tasman Peninsula with its stunning coastal scenery.

Hobart to Richmond is only a short drive of about 25 kilometres, along country roads. You could take your time and amble along, enjoying the relative peace and quiet you’ll find in this part of the world.

What to See in Richmond
Richmond is a colonial village, established as a convict outpost around 1823, and is a fascinating step back in time. The village used to be on the main route between Hobart and Port Arthur but when the Sorell Causeway was constructed to allow the road to cross Orielton Lagoon much further south, Richmond was essentially bypassed. This may have been a blow to the village at the time (1872), but Richmond really benefits now from the fact that the village is pretty much the same as it was back then, and attracts many visitors because of this. There are several sites you should definitely see whilst in Richmond…

Richmond Bridge
Richmond Bridge is the village’s most famous landmark, built to cross the Coal River it opened in 1825, making it the oldest bridge still in use in Australia. In recognition of this fact, the bridge was added to the Australian National Heritage List in 2005.

Richmond Gaol
For those who don’t know, ‘gaol’ is commonly used in place of the word ‘jail’, and Richmond Gaol is Australia’s oldest, operating from 1825 right through to 1945. There are several buildings you can view as well as a handful of historical documents and artefacts.

Richmond Village
Once you’ve seen the main sites, take a stroll around the village as there are many historical and heritage buildings to see, as well as some great places to grab a coffee and a bite to eat before getting on the road again!

If you are intending to stay in Richmond, Book it Now has some great options for Richmond accommodation.

Our next entry follows our journey south, down towards the Tasman Peninsula, taking in the towns of Sorrell and Dunalley before reaching Eaglehawk Neck.

“Hobart to Richmond and Beyond on the Convict Trail” by Claire Bolgil

View of Mount Wellington in Hobart from Mortimer Bay Tasmania

When you stay in Hobart you can’t help but notice the large mountains dominating the backdrop to the city, and if you, like us, enjoy seeing a city from up high you’re going to want to take a trip up Mount Wellington!

We had intended to spend a few hours away from Hobart, travelling up Mount Wellington and then enjoying the views, but we were persuaded to do otherwise by the helpful staff at our Hobart hotel who told us that there’s so much more to Mount Wellington than the views.

How to get to Mount Wellington
The easiest way to get up Mount Wellington is by car from Hobart. There’s a paved road, called Pinnacle Road, which takes you up to the summit from the village of Fern Tree. If you fancy hiking up you can park your car in Fern Tree, though if you prefer to use the car there are also various places to park all along Pinnacle Road.

For those of you without your own transport, you can take a bus to Fern Tree on Route 48 or 49, then hike from there. Or you could use a private tour company – speak to the Tasmanian Visitor Information Centre for more details.

What to See and Do in Wellington Park
Once you can tear yourself away from the absolutely amazing views, there are a multitude of other things for you to see and do on Mount Wellington and around Wellington Park.

Hikes and Bush Walks – There are a number of short walks and longer hikes for visitors. We recommend the Organ Pipes Track if you have half a day to spare as the views from this walk are great. If you don’t have half a day to spare there are some much shorter walks as well. Silver Falls is about a 40 minute return walk starting from Fern Tree Park and takes you up to the beautiful Silver Falls.

Landmarks – the Organ Pipes are one of Mount Wellington’s most famous landmarks. This is a huge cliff of dolerite columns which resemble organ pipes, hence the name, and they’re really quite spectacular. You can even see these from Hobart!

Wildlife and Plant Life – All over Wellington Park look out for the plentiful wildlife and plant life. The park features a variety of environments so if you’re spending some time here and go on one of the longer hikes you’re quite likely to go through several different areas where the plants can be really quite different.

One piece of advice to give you is that you must be extremely careful when driving up and down Pinnacle Road because a huge number of animals lose their lives on this road, especially after dark. We had several animals run out in front of us and narrowly avoided them.

For Hobart accommodation before and after your outing to Wellington Park, go to Book it Now.

‘Mount Wellington and Wellington Park’ by Claire Bolgil

Hobart - Old Sailing Ships

We discovered that there’s more to Mount Wellington and the Mount Wellington Park than great views of Hobart, so we’ll be covering all the fun things you can do in Mount Wellington Park in our next entry. In the meantime, our stay in Hobart continues and we’ve enjoyed a cruise, a visit to a chocolate factory and a night on the town!

Cadbury’s Chocolate Factory Visitor Centre
Whether or not you’re a chocoholic, Cadbury’s Chocolate Factory still makes for an interesting hour or so and one which any children in your family are bound to enjoy! Discover the history of one of the world’s most famous chocolate producers and find out how chocolate is made plus every visitor is given a free chocolate gift! Chocolate lovers beware – there’s a chocolate shop here; it could be dangerous!

Don’t come unstuck as we did, and make sure you pre-book your visit by phoning the number on the Cadbury’s website. Also note that the visitor centre is not open at weekends.

Hobart Cruises
There are a couple of companies in Hobart offering cruises of varying lengths, so which one you choose will no doubt depend on how much free time you have.

Peppermint Bay Cruises offer a half day cruise onboard a luxury catamaran, cruising through Hobart Harbour and on the River Derwent, then past Bruny Island and into Peppermint Bay. At Peppermint Bay you have the opportunity to leave the boat and explore the bay and the quaint village of Woodbridge.

Another cruising company is Navigators. We decided on a Navigators cruise because we didn’t have a half day to spare and these cruises are less than a couple of hours. Cruising the Derwent River and out into the Southern Ocean, we got to see the oldest lighthouse in Australia and hear more about the history of Hobart.

Wrest Point Casino
After a fun day we opted for a fun evening too! Wrest Point is Hobart’s major entertainment centre where you can watch live shows starring big names, enjoy a meal in one of the five restaurants and sip a few drinks from one of the six bars! The Point Revolving Restaurant is a favourite of ours, where you dine 17 floors up in a revolving restaurant with wonderful views of the harbour, mountain and city. Then of course there’s the casino – Wrest Point was the first legal casino in Australia and you can play all the popular table games here as well as the latest electronic gaming machines.

Wrest Point also offers a good range of accommodation, though there are many other places to stay in Hobart too if this doesn’t suit you. To get a comprehensive list of accommodation in Hobart and surrounding areas, go to Book it Now.

‘Touring Tasmania – Hobart Continued’ by Claire Bolgil

Salamanca Place in Hobart

Our tour of Tasmania starts in the state’s capital city, Hobart, in the south east. This coastal city is situated on the estuary of the Derwent River and set against the picturesque backdrop of Mount Wellington.

Hobart is a beautiful little city, the second oldest in Australia, and was founded in 1804 when it grew as a result of the penal colony based here. Although the population went up and the town grew, Hobart never became a huge city and I think this is one of the main reasons why it really appealed to us. If asked to compare Hobart to another city, I would have to say that it really struck me as a smaller version of Vancouver, in Canada!

We decided to stay in Hobart for a couple of nights. There are dozens of hotels and other accommodation in the Hobart area which you can choose from; we personally chose to stay in a hotel in Hobart’s historic centre.

What to See in Hobart
There is plenty to see and do in Hobart to keep you occupied for at least a couple of days, and if you have longer to spare it’s the kind of city which you can just sit back and relax in!

Historic Hobart
We really enjoyed wandering around, admiring the old Georgian and Victorian buildings of the city, particularly around the riverside area. If you can plan it so that you’re here on a Saturday, Salamanca Place really comes alive with the Saturday morning Salamanca Market. The market and the surrounding streets are a great place to soak up the atmosphere and have fun drifting from one craft shop to the next or sit down and enjoy a great meal in one of the many restaurants here.

We joined a walking tour as we felt this would be the best way to get to see and hear about the most interesting historic places in Hobart. A variety of tours are available with Hobart Historic Tours and their essential one is the Hobart Historic Walk Tour. Once you’ve enjoyed this one you can then choose from some more specific tours such as Battery Point Walk Tour or the Old Hobart Pub Tour!

Museums in Hobart
Hobart has a couple of museums – The Maritime Museum of Tasmania details the maritime history of the island including the whaling industry, shipbuilding, shipwrecks and more, whilst the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery takes a more general look at Tasmania’s history and, amongst other things, you can see a stuffed version of the now extinct Tasmanian Tiger.

Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens
About 15 minutes walk or a quick drive from Hobart city centre, are the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens. The walk is really nice as you go across the Queens Domain, an area of hilly bushland, to reach the botanical gardens at one end. The gardens were established in 1818 and feature many native Tasmanian plants. One of the most popular attractions here though is the Subantarctic Plant House! This is the only one of its kind in the world and houses plants from subantarctic islands. Make sure you bring a sweater, as it’s climatically controlled in here!

Other attractions in Hobart and the surrounding area include a trip up Mount Wellington, cruises on the Derwent River and Hobart harbour, the Cadbury’s Chocolate Factory and the Wrest Point Casino, all of which will be covered in our next entry!

“Hobart – Touring Tasmania” by Claire Bolgil

Hobart Harbour at sunset

Tasmania – The Island of Inspiration.
Located just 240 kilometres (150 miles) south of mainland Australia, yet it could be a whole world away for its differences!

What first springs to mind when you think of Tasmania? For many people it’s the Tasmanian Devil, a marsupial found only in Tasmania; for some it’s the attractive city of Hobart, and for others it’s the beautiful natural scenery. For us, Tasmania was all these things and much more, and well worth the visit from mainland Australia!

About Tasmania
Tasmania was settled as a British penal colony in the early 1800’s at which time many of the English settlers compared it to southern England due to its climate and geography. Of course, the climate hasn’t changed significantly since then, and although the population of Tasmania has grown and there’s been urban development, the islanders have been careful to retain much of the natural beauty – nearly 40% of Tasmania is designated as protected land.

Tasmania is the smallest of Australia’s states, measuring 364 kilometres (226 miles) from north to south and 306 kilometres (190 miles) from east to west, but this doesn’t mean you should spend only a day or two here. There’s far more to do in Tasmania than you might think and you could easily spend several weeks without seeing everything! For this reason, we really don’t suggest you stay in one place, but that you tour around the island so you get to see as much of Tasmania as possible.

Our Tour of Tasmania
You can read all about the tour we took and get lots of information on all the best places to visit in Tasmania then devise your own itinerary, making sure you visit all the places you most want to see. Our tour started in the capital city, Hobart. From here we went up the eastern side of the island to Devonport in the north, then down the western side of the island back to Hobart, but if you don’t have as long to spend in Tasmania as we did, you may like to travel just one leg from Hobart to Devonport, or the other way around. Ferries from the mainland dock at Devonport, or you can fly to either Hobart or Devonport or one of the other larger cities, so it gives you the option to choose which way you want to tour – you can read more about the ferries and airlines below.

Getting to Tasmania
Obviously being an island there are just two ways to get to Tasmania – by ferry or by plane.

Ferries to Tasmania – Ferries depart usually daily for the crossing between Melbourne and Devonport and the journey takes around 10 hours with Spirit of Tasmania ferries. Most crossings are overnight, though during peak periods there are additional daytime crossings as well.

For a night-time crossing you’re able to reserve a cabin where you can relax and have a good night’s sleep. This is especially a good idea if you’re travelling with children as you’ll arrive fresh and ready to start touring Tasmania the nest morning!

Spirit of Tasmania ferries can also take vehicles, bicycles and pets so you can bring your own wheels to get you around the island, and the cost of bringing your car would no doubt be less than having to pay to rent a car once you get here.

Planes to Tasmania – The main benefit with taking a plane to Tasmania is the reduced travel time and there are several airlines to choose from offering routes from mainland Australia to Tasmania. Budget airlines include Jetstar and Virgin Blue as well as low-cost carrier Tiger Airways and Regional Express, and of course there’s the more up-market Qantas too.

The downside with flying is that you can’t bring your own transport and are limited with the amount of luggage you can bring. Once you arrive, we wouldn’t advise you to rely on getting around Tasmania by bus as the services are infrequent, so you’re best bet would be to rent a car.

Starting out in Hobart, you will need a place to stay so why not look on our website and see the great variety of great accommodation in Hobart and all around Tasmania.

“Touring Tasmania – An Introduction” by Claire Bolgil