This morning Queen Elizabeth dropped anchor just offshore of Port Arthur in Tasmania. This is not a place I have ever been to before and probably the most famous thing about the country is the Tasmanian Devil!
Port Arthur was a large penitentiary built by the British Empire in the 18th Century. Between 1833 and 1855 it was home to some of the hardest British Criminals
Abandoned as a prison in 1877 it was largely forgotten. On site was an asylum, church and Post Office.
In the ‘70’s tourism was encouraged by the local government and in 1980 it was returned to its original appearance
It’s now a world heritage site with the history well signposted, lovely walks in the Government cottage gardens where the officers wives and children used to assemble. A far cry from what it must have been like in its heyday! (See pic)
Today (Friday) we have arrived in Hobart the capital city of Tasmania and the location of the dock for the ship.
While it is a busy city it completely lacks the hustle and bustle of cities at home. I’ve said it before and I will say it again, the people ‘down under’ have a much more relaxed attitude to life and I love it.
There are a few of the well known retail chains but in the main each street is full of shops and stores owned and run by local traders. Choice here is brilliant.
The weather tho overcast early this morning has now brightened up and as I write this, sitting in a quaint coffee shop, my coat is now folded up, no longer required.
Tasmania is worth a visit.
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