Robin Cartledge's Tasmanian Travel Guide

Convict Coal Mine ruins at Saltwater River The main Convict Precinct   Excavated in 1833, the coal mines were used to punish the worst convicts, who worked here in extremely poor conditions.   Developed to limit the colony’s dependence on costly imported coal from New South Wales, as well as serving as a place of punishment for the “worst class” of convicts from Port Arthur, the mine was operational for over 40 years. The main section of the site with the car-park upper left  Coal Mine Walks There are ten walks in the area - each with its own specific interests, including: 1. Convict Precinct - a 30-minute return walk of 800 metres which covers the main buildings and ruins in the convict precinct.   2. Tramway and Beach Walk - a one km, 40-minute walk to inspect the area where the tramway ran down to the beach and where the coal was loaded. : "Along the shore you can see small lumps of red and black material. The red material is coal ...

Taranna Taranna is a tiny hamlet on the Arthur Highway, on the way to Port Arthur, around 10km from Eaglehawk Neck, with an estimated population of 277 residents. It is believed that 'taranna' is the local Aboriginal word for 'kangaroo'. Taranna's main attractions are the Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park, Unzoo , the Tasman Historical Museum & Coffee Shop , and The Norfolk Bay Convict Station . Its real claim to fame, however, is that it was the terminus for the infamous human 'railway' which ran between  the jetty at Little Norfolk Bay and Port Arthur and was powered by four convicts pushing the carriages along the crude 7 km of track. Norfolk Bay and Port Arthur Tramway ~~~~~~ NOTE: Clicking on 'coordinates' will take you to the appropriate Google map. The Norfolk Bay Convict Station   Norfolk Bay Convict Station, originally the Commissariat Store, was built in 1842. It is a red and white-roofed building on a s...

Eaglehawk Neck   Versicherungen Eaglehawk Neck marks the start of the Tasman Peninsula, sitting around 20km south-east of Dunally and in the 2016 Census had around 385 residents. Prior to European settlement, the area around Eaglehawk Neck was occupied by people from the Nuenonne Aboriginal language group. Eaglehawk Neck is a bar made of sand carried by currents and waves from the floors of Pirate’s Bay to the east and Norfolk Bay to the west. It ties Tasman to Forestier Peninsula in a narrow run of land which is less than 100 metres wide. This quiet fishing village comprises clusters of tiny holiday retreats which are surrounded by spectacular coastal cliffs. The waters around the coast are some of the finest temperate dive waters in the world. Forming a natural gateway between the Tasman and Forestier Peninsulas, it was used by the British in the 1830s, when a line of dogs was chained to posts across the neck to warn of any convicts attempting to escape the Port ...

Visiting Evandale   I can't help but smile whenever I am in this beautiful village because I need do nothing more than to walk/drive around taking in the architecture and the atmosphere to feel fully satisfied. Pflege-Vorsorge Heritage Walk Booklet To add some depth and colour to your visit, you can pick up a Heritage Walk booklet (available from the Evandale Tourist Information Centre and spend half a day walking around this magnificent heritage listed village, or visit on a Sunday and include a couple of hours at the large weekly markets. Throw in a meal or two at any of the local eateries, or a picnic lunch in one of the pleasant parks and you have a fulfilling day done. The Tourist Information Centre is at 18 High Street, Evandale  Along with its history and preserved architectural beauty, Evandale is also known for its long-running Sunday market and as host to the annual World Penny Farthing bicycle Championships - held annually in February. The...

A guest post - by Luke Hine-Haycock Saw Back Track Disappointment Blue line marks the Saw Back Track       Having been told that the Saw Back Track was an extreme 4wd experience, a few mates and I decided to give it a go. Sadly the track was a little disappointing for me, as I only found two challenging parts - the first one was a clay hill with a washed out step up in it and the second one was a muddy water hole. Although the Saw Back Track was a little disappointing the Mt Field National Park area has a lot to offer and see. Results of the clay step-up Entry Requirements From Bothwell we drove approx. 71km to the Mt Field National Park visitor centre, where we got the key and permits for the Saw Back track - a $300 refundable deposit was charged for the key. Mt Field National Park visitor centre  We had to fill out some permits to be able to get the key which required our licences and rego. numbers.  A park's pass is also ...

East Beach Tourist Park  I popped in yesterday to meet the owner of the East Beach Tourist Park, at Low Head, and discovered a delightful lady whose husband passed away around a year ago, leaving her to carve out a lifestyle with their developing caravan/tourist park. East Beach Tourist Park at Low Head has  a unique facade which attracts  tens  of thousands of visitors per year.    The striking Macrocarpa wood carvings are the work of Eddie Freeman and was commissioned by the late Kenneth Plumstead, the previous park owner, and is the largest privately owned collection of its type in Australia.  With these exquisite tree carvings at the front door and East Beach and the Bass Straight at the rear, this park is the ideal place to spend a day, or a month, exploring the region. East Beach, Low Head East Beach, looking to the east The Wester...

James: From Chartist to Supervisor of the Treadmill Remainder of the gaol still stands           I recently took the opportunity to visit my brother - Keeper of the Family History - south of Hobart, spending a few inspiring days with him and his lovely wife. We had to make the 40 km plus trip into Hobart and given that I have had little to do with much of the south of the state, was excited that we were going to visit the Old Convict Gaol where our Great, great-grandfather had been the supervisor of the treadmill. It seems quite strange to me that, having been heavily involved as an organiser with the Chartist Movement in England - an act similar to today's terrorism that was punished by long prison terms or transportation to Australia - he was able to secure a position as Supervisor of the Treadmill in Hobart and then Launceston. Hobart Convict Gaol Layout Hobart Convict Gaol Layout - click to enlarge       The Penite...

Lefroy: The six pub town I have always found it rather interesting that the population and wealth of Australian historic mining areas seem to be always measured by the number of pubs (hotels) it had. Lefroy sits around 15 km south-east of the cottage and 58 km north-east of Launceston. Originally known as Nine Mile Springs it was changed to Lefroy in 1881 after the visit by the Acting Governor, Sir Henry Lefroy. It was a bustling town, which is said to have contained 5,000 people in its peak boom period of 1890-95. It was the fourth largest town in Tasmania,. Gold was known to exist in the hills around Lefroy in the 1840s, but exploration was discouraged because of a fear that the convicts would find out and rebel. Though now only a sleepy rural town with no retail activity at all, Lefroy had a race track, rifle club, cricket club and brass band. There were six hotels, three churches, a state and private grammar school, a masonic lodge and mechanics institute. The town h...

Giant delivers Tasrail's new locomotives 'MV Parsifal' the largest car carrier in the world and the largest ship ever to call into Bell Bay, today navigated the winding Tamar River delivering Tassie's new Locomotives. The 265-metre long 'MV Parsifal' spans nine decks with a cargo deck area the size of eight soccer fields with a draught of nearly 9 metres. Just 35 metres shorter than the Eiffel Tower, with a ramp that can handle the weight of 100 elephants she has an anchor that weighs 9.2 tonnes and  an engine which has the horsepower of 180 cars. Despite her gigantic size, the Parsifal will actually use 15 to 20% less fuel per transported unit compared to her predecessors due to her optimised hull shape and other energy saving features like the streamlined rudder design and duck tail which make her one of the most environmentally friendly ships in operation today. In addition, electricity will be produced from the exhaust heat on board thanks to an a...