Touring Tasmania – Richmond to the Tasman Peninsula via Eaglehawk Neck

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