Now That's a Penal Colony

I got up early and hiked to Wineglass Bay. I was the first person on the trail (0646) and was the first one on the beach. I love these Aussies. There's no fooling around with them. The beach is on the other side of a steep mountain. They apparently don't believe in switchbacks, so it was stairs all the way up and over. Goodness, was I tired afterward. I rested on the beach for quite a while, then back up and over the mountain. The views are awesome. The rain was temporary yesterday, and the sun is back out today. I returned to my campsite, took a shower, and put on shorts for the first time on the trip.

I drove down the eastern coast and arrived at Port Arthur around 3pm. Port Arthur is one of the first penal colonies in Australia, but it was for the worst of the worst. It was their SuperMax. Because the colony is on a peninsula, there was no way to escape other than to swim, which most couldn't, or run across a small landmass, but that was guarded with ferocious dogs and armed guards. There are approximately 30 buildings and ruins left. There was another island off the coast, Point Peur, which was the first juvenile prison in British history. It was actually focused on rehabilitation, teaching each juvenile a multitude of trades, providing education, and instilling morals through worship. The youngest offenders were 9 years old!

I also bought the Port Author Ghost Tour, which was a little scary. After dark you walk through numerous buildings and the guide talks about ghost sightings. Apparently, one of the buildings was rated one of Australia's most haunted by the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Co.). No ghosts; but, I did get a little adrenaline going a few times.

Tomorrow I'm heading into Hobart for the outdoor market and fish on the pier.Read more