Port Arthur and the peninsula

Fairly early start today kids fed ,coffees drank and we were off to port Arthur down the Tasman hwy a little then dirt roads to kellieville then Dunally where the fires had been early January and the scene was familiarly devastating , it's hard to imagine I guess until you have been through it I guess but it reminds me of losing mick my cousin the only fatality in the Bendigo fires and how close the in laws came to losing there's when they were away in Whittlesea close to where the fires started that way.
We were stuck behind a particularly slow grey nomad this morning but there were no overtaking opportunities so we just sat back and chatted about how fire must effect people's lives .
W arrived at the busy tourist centre of port Arthur just about morning tea and we went the budget option of the bronze pass which included two days entry a 40 minute walking introduction tour and the boat tour of the harbour .
Shortly after we entered we headed down to the jetty for out short cruise around isle of the dead and point puer the former a 2 acre rocky outcrop the is the final resting spot of over 1100 people both convicts ,free labourer ,military and civil officers and family , but according to new reports there may be up to 1800 people on the island as most are in unmarked graves as convicts led a shameful life so this would be repeated in death. Very crowded as it seems apparently it could have been burial room for well over 2000 bodies in the traditional manner without standing up or two - three deep!
Back on the port grounds we returned and walked through the solemn reflection gardens of the 1996 port Arthur massacre near the broad arrow cafe shell and this we tried to explain to the kids what bad people are capable of and why we can't all carry firearms like we did not that long ago.
On to our intro tour on the parade ground looking area beside the harbour walls .
There was well over 100 people on this tour with only one guide bit weird but I guess at peak times there may well be more.
We ended the tour near the asylum and broke off from the group heading in to the asylum grounds after the tour and headed towards the former hospital/ boys home across the creek and down into the guard towers and was amazed at the commandants house in all its majesty which also became a hotel later on in the 1870's .
Rooms were made up in period attire even original wallpaper was still evident as were depictions of menu of the day , preserved foods entertaining areas and a few mysteries.
The gardens here were still stunning in old English charm.
Through the former mill granary /penitentiary we walked and read up on and admired the people doing an archeological dig to prove the penitentiary was once a mill.
The kids I think came away with a good understanding of penal colony times.
While the Filbey name never came up in any records there where numerous burns ,Langford and dole entries.
The asylum and separate prison with its silent stories and isolation cells was the highlight I think for all of us .
The junior medical officers house was very interesting too and the gardens still bear fruit and flower a credit to the many garden staff.
It seems ironic the pastors residence became a hotel shortly after he left and post office.
Of course the open roof church was nearly the final chapter for our long day here with many of the near perfect sandstone bricks being made nearby by the point puer boys serving as trainee stonemasons who excelled at their craft .
We had some advise on the gardens at the junior medical cottage on a beautiful flower that apparently has hallucinogenic properties the keep a secret from certain age people, I laughed at that!
Shortly after that we drove on to the devils kitchen and Tasman arch which were howli g as the wind had just picked up to a storm pace but mad the blowhole nearby gush high and mighty.
Back down the Eaglehawk neck we drove to inspect the dogs line the infamous hell hounds on chains who were chained up along the necks line to warn of escaping convicts and possibly a nibble ! The British army had their barracks just inside this line to enforce the colony.
Mother Nature had provided us with textured pavements at sea level at the Tessellated pavement on the coast which we marvelled at as we walked along ,of course doing several geocaches and munzees close by.
Tea was beckoning and the squids were starving so we drove back through the Firezone and had a beautiful tea at the home of seafood in the area the Dunally hotel which was great although my bullfighters steak smothered in red hot curried prawns was hot and massive it nearly had me beat.
Back home we took a scenic night tour through the bush for an hour back to Orford and soon were in bed after yet another bug days walking .